Baidu's Apollo Go Secures Swiss L4 Autonomous Taxi Permit, Aims for Public Launch by 2027

Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing platform, Apollo Go (branded as “Luobo Kuaipao” in China), has obtained a Level 4 autonomous driving taxi operating permit in Switzerland. The permit covers three cantons in eastern Switzerland—St. Gallen, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, and Appenzell Innerrhoden—with a total operational area of approximately 80 square kilometers. Road testing commenced on June 1, 2024, with safety drivers still present in the vehicles. Apollo Go will collaborate with PostBus, the public transport operator under Swiss Post, to launch its autonomous taxi service under the brand name “AmiGo.” Following the completion of road tests, the service will begin limited-scale operations. Full commercial operations open to the public are expected to launch in 2027. The AmiGo service will deploy Baidu’s sixth-generation autonomous vehicle, the Apollo RT6—a fully electric model capable of carrying up to three passengers. Equipped with more than 30 sensors and an onboard computing platform, the vehicle is designed to operate without a steering wheel once fully driverless operations are achieved.