Baidu, Swiss PostBus Plan Robotaxi Fleet Tests in Eastern Switzerland

Baidu’s Apollo Go is partnering with Swiss Post’s PostBus to deploy robotaxi services across eastern Switzerland, covering cantons including St. Gallen and the Appenzells. Initial mapping and fleet testing will begin in December 2025 with safety drivers on board, pilot rides for select users set for the first half of 2026, and full public operations targeted by the first quarter of 2027. The vehicles are fully driverless four‑seat robotaxis and Baidu aims to introduce them to the public without steering wheels. The deal builds on Baidu’s recent overseas push—including partnerships with Lyft and Uber—as Apollo Go already operates a fully driverless fleet of over 1,000 vehicles in 16 cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong. The expansion underscores a broader race among Chinese robotaxi firms to commercialize autonomous ride services and reflects Baidu’s strategic shift toward AI and self‑driving amid weakness in its ad-driven search business.