Lyft (LYFT) will be bringing Chinese-made robotaxis into Europe. Indeed, the U.S. ride-hailing company announced on Monday that it has partnered with Baidu (BIDU) in order to deploy the Chinese tech giant’s Apollo Go autonomous vehicles (AVs) across several European markets. The plan is to launch robotaxi services in Germany and the United Kingdom in 2026. If regulators give the green light, Baidu’s vehicles will be integrated into Lyft’s ride-hailing app.
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Lyft CEO David Risher described the move as part of Lyft’s “hybrid network approach,” which combines autonomous vehicles with human drivers to give riders more flexible options. Interestingly, this is a significant shift for Lyft, which has mainly focused its business on the U.S. market while its rival Uber (UBER) has expanded globally and diversified into areas like food delivery. In fact, earlier this year, Lyft entered the European market for the first time by acquiring FREENOW, a German multi-mobility app, for about $197 million in cash.
It is also worth noting that both companies are now racing to partner with autonomous vehicle developers. Uber currently leads the way with more than 18 partnerships, which include major investments in Lucid (LCID) and Nuro to build a premium robotaxi service. Lyft, meanwhile, has been slower but is building momentum with partnerships like its planned integration of Benteler Group’s autonomous shuttles in 2026 and May Mobility AVs in Atlanta later this year.
Is LYFT Stock a Good Buy?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on LYFT stock based on seven Buys, 19 Holds, and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average LYFT price target of $17.86 per share implies 25.8% upside potential.
