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

Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing platform, Apollo Go (known as “Luobo Kuaipao” in Chinese), has recently obtained a Level 4 autonomous driving taxi operating permit in Switzerland, covering the cantons of St. Gallen, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, and Appenzell Innerrhoden—an area totaling approximately 80 square kilometers. This marks the first time that a Chinese autonomous driving technology has secured large-scale commercial operation authorization in Europe. Apollo Go will collaborate with PostBus, the public transport operator under Swiss Post, to jointly launch an autonomous taxi service under the brand name “AmiGo.” Road testing for the project began on June 1, with all test vehicles accompanied by safety drivers during this phase. Following successful road tests, limited trial operations will commence, with full-scale commercial services open to the public expected to roll out comprehensively by 2027. The project will deploy Baidu’s sixth-generation autonomous vehicle, the Apollo RT6, as its operational fleet. The all-electric RT6 can accommodate up to three passengers and is equipped with more than 30 sensors, along with Baidu’s self-developed onboard computing platform, providing redundant perception and decision-making capabilities. The vehicle also features interfaces designed for future removal of the steering wheel, preparing for fully driverless operations and optimizing interior space accordingly. Swiss officials stated that the choice to operate in the Alpine region aims to leverage the area’s complex terrain and highly variable weather conditions to subject the autonomous driving system to extreme testing environments, thereby enhancing its robustness. The CEO of PostBus emphasized that this partnership will accelerate the intelligent transformation of public transportation and offer residents in remote areas greater mobility options.