Waymo and Baidu Accelerate Robotaxi Race in London by 2026
London is set to become the first city where American and Chinese autonomous vehicle technologies compete directly, as Waymo and Baidu push to launch rival robotaxi services by 2026. Waymo, backed by Alphabet, has been testing modified Jaguars on London roads since December, while Baidu plans to deploy its RT6 models in partnership with Lyft and Uber.
The UK government's decision to permit commercial testing of self-driving cars this spring has accelerated both companies' timelines. This positions London as a critical testing ground for global AV dominance, with policymakers aiming to establish regulatory frameworks distinct from Silicon Valley's laissez-faire approach or Beijing's state-directed model.
While neither company has announced blockchain integrations, the competition highlights how rapidly mobility tech is evolving—a sector increasingly intersecting with decentralized finance and IoT tokenization projects.
