Baidu stated that the AmiGo project has gained backing from the Swiss government and several public institutions, with public ride reservations expected to open by Q1 2027.
On October 22, Baidu announced that its autonomous ride-hailing brand, Apollo Go, has entered into a strategic partnership with PostBus, the public transport operator under Swiss Post, to introduce an autonomous mobility service called “AmiGo” in Switzerland.
According to the plan, the fleet will begin initial testing in December across the eastern Swiss cantons of St. Gallen, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, and Appenzell Innerrhoden, before gradually transitioning to routine, fully driverless operations.
For the Swiss project, Apollo Go has developed a sixth-generation autonomous vehicle capable of carrying four passengers. The model features a detachable steering wheel, reserving space for future operations without human safety drivers.
Passengers will be able to book rides via a mobile app and choose between private or shared trip options.
The new model is powered by Baidu’s integrated Apollo full-stack solution combining its ADFM foundation model, hardware system, and safety architecture. It employs multilayered redundancy and real-time monitoring to enhance reliability under complex road conditions.
The partnership will leverage PostBus’s extensive public transport network to complement existing bus services in regions with dispersed travel demand.
Baidu stated that the AmiGo project has received support from the Swiss government and multiple public institutions, and passenger booking is expected to open to the public no later than the first quarter of 2027.
Earlier this year, Apollo Go also established partnerships with Uber and Lyft, obtained an autonomous driving test license in Dubai, and launched its first large-scale test fleet in the UAE. Baidu further plans to roll out driverless taxi services in Germany and the United Kingdom via the Lyft platform in 2026.
Notably, just days before Baidu’s announcement (on October 17), another Chinese autonomous driving company, Pony.ai, revealed a collaboration with Stellantis to begin robotaxi testing in Europe, starting in Luxembourg and expanding to additional regions by 2026.
According to official data, as of August, Apollo Go had provided over 14 million rides and accumulated more than 200 million kilometers of safe driving. The service currently operates in 16 cities worldwide, including Hong Kong, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.
Discover more from ChinaEVHome
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
