Baidu to Bring Robotaxis Without Steering Wheels to Switzerland

Chinese internet giant Baidu Inc. and a Swiss Post subsidiary will start autonomous vehicle testing in Switzerland by the end of this year as they seek to launch the world’s first robotaxis without steering wheels to the public in 2027.

The partnership will see Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxis rolled out to an area that stretches across the cantons of St Gallen, Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Appenzell Innerrhoden, the company said in a statement.

After initial trials with safety personnel, driverless testing is set to start in late 2026, followed by regular operations becoming available in the first quarter of 2027 at the latest, it said. Bloomberg News previously reported the plan in May.

The fleet will be comprised of the RT6, Apollo Go’s latest generation vehicle that comes with voice controls and a massage function for its reclining seats. The steering wheel will be removed once the service is fully operational, which Baidu says is a world first for a public robotaxi service.

Rivals are developing cars without steering wheels, including Amazon.com Inc.’s Zoox, whose robotaxi is akin to a shuttle and will also have no pedals. Tesla Inc.’s Cybercab will also come without steering wheel or pedals, though it’s unclear when it will hit the road and the company’s robotaxi pilot program in the US has kicked off with a modified Model Y sport utility vehicle.

The entry to Switzerland builds on Baidu’s accelerating global expansion. Its partnership with US ride-hailing platform Lyft Inc. will see Apollo Go deploy vehicles to the UK and Germany in 2026, pending regulatory approval. The company was awarded 50 licenses last month to test robotaxis in Dubai and has said it’s eyeing markets such as Australia and Southeast Asia.

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