Analysis of the Globalization Progress of Apollo Go's Autonomous Driving Business

As Baidu’s autonomous driving mobility service platform, Apollo Go has made significant progress in globalization expansion in recent years. The following is a detailed analysis of the latest developments in its international layout from multiple dimensions:

• Dubai
  : On March 28, 2025, Apollo Go signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), marking its first large-scale autonomous driving testing and service outside China [1][3]. According to the agreement, the two parties plan to deploy more than 1,000 fully autonomous vehicles in Dubai [3].
• Abu Dhabi
  : On March 29, 2025, Apollo Go formed a strategic partnership with Autogo, an autonomous driving mobility company in the UAE, to jointly provide autonomous driving mobility services for Abu Dhabi and strive to build the largest unmanned fleet in the Abu Dhabi region [3].

• In November 2024, Apollo Go obtained the first batch of autonomous driving vehicle pilot licenses issued by the Hong Kong Transport Department and launched road tests [1].
• Recently, Apollo Go’s test scope in Hong Kong has been further expanded to help Hong Kong build a tech innovation city [5].

• Baidu plans to expand Apollo Go to the European market and is in talks with PostAuto under Swiss Post about expanding to Switzerland [2].
• Additionally, Apollo Go plans to expand to the Turkish market [2].

• Uber Partnership
  : In July 2025, Apollo Go formed a strategic partnership with Uber. According to the plan, the two parties will first deploy Apollo Go’s 6th-generation autonomous vehicles in Asia and the Middle East by the end of 2025, and gradually expand to more global markets in the future [5].
• Lyft Partnership
  : Apollo Go formed a strategic partnership with Lyft to further expand into the European market [5].

• As of May 2025, Apollo Go has provided over 11 million rides globally [3][4].
• In Q2 2025, the global monthly mobility service rides reached 2.2 million, a year-on-year increase of 148% [6].
• As of November 2025, cumulative global service rides exceeded 17 million, making it the first service platform in the world to reach this scale [6].

• Currently, Apollo Go has deployed over 1,000 autonomous vehicles globally [5].
• Its service footprint covers 15 cities including Hong Kong, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi [5].
• Up to now, Apollo Go has provided services in 22 cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, as well as Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE [6].
• Cumulative safe driving mileage has exceeded 170 million kilometers [5].

• Baidu’s financial report shows that Apollo Go provided over 1.4 million rides globally in Q1 2025, a year-on-year increase of 75% [3].
• In some areas of Wuhan, Apollo Go has achieved single-vehicle revenue-cost balance and is expected to be profitable in 2025 [6].

• Apollo Go is based on Baidu Apollo’s technology. In May 2024, it released Apollo ADFM, the world’s first large model supporting L4-level autonomous driving [1].
• This large model is installed on Apollo Go’s 6th-generation autonomous vehicles, making it the first player in the world to apply the autonomous driving large model ADFM [1].

• Well-known investor “Cathie Wood” stated in the Big Ideas 2025 report that among the companies expected to achieve autonomous driving 10 years ago, only three have successfully launched operations now: Waymo and Tesla from the US, and Baidu from China [3].
• Time magazine listed autonomous driving technology as one of the “Best Inventions of 2025” and specifically mentioned “Apollo Go” as Waymo’s biggest global competitor [6].

• A Goldman Sachs report shows that China’s Robotaxi market is expected to grow rapidly from approximately $54 million in 2025 to $12 billion in 2030, with a CAGR of over 96% [1].
• A Bank of America Securities research report shows that the potential size of the autonomous driving market is expected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2040 [2].

• Apollo Go still needs to overcome three hurdles: technology, cost, and policy support in its globalization process [1].
• Competition with global leading companies like Waymo and Tesla will continue to intensify.

Overall, Apollo Go’s autonomous driving business is in a stage of rapid globalization expansion. Through strategic partnerships with international mobility platforms such as Uber and Lyft, and active layout in markets like the Middle East and Europe, Apollo Go is accelerating to become an important force in the global autonomous driving mobility service sector.

[1] 21st Century Business Herald - The Year of Robotaxi Boom: Will Autonomous Driving Enter the GPT Era? (https://www.21jingji.com/article/20250702/herald/c74ebdfa631fe7dd128190623274f4a8.html)

[2] OFweek AI Network - Robotaxi Enters Fast Lane: Global Fleet Size Surges, Commercial Operations Launch in Multiple Cities (https://m.ofweek.com/ai/2025-08/ART-201715-8120-30668188.html)

[3] Securities Times Network - Baidu, Suddenly Surging! Two Major Businesses Shine, Foreign Capital Increases Holdings Collectively (https://www.stcn.com/article/detail/1839883.html)

[4] Apollo Go Official Website - Apollo Go Forms Strategic Partnership with Uber to Deploy Thousands of Vehicles Globally (https://www.apollogo.com/ch/news/15906)

[5] DoNews - Baidu Apollo Go Ranks First in Global Orders (https://www.donews.com/news/detail/4/6264433.html)

[6] Nikkei Chinese Website - Baidu’s Autonomous Driving Taxis to Expand Overseas Using Chinese Experience (https://cn.nikkei.com/china/ccompany/59719-2025-08-22-10-46-51.html)