Baidu announced today that its autonomous ride-hailing service, Apollo Go, has entered a strategic partnership with PostBus, the public transport operator of Swiss Post, to launch an on-demand robotaxi service called ‘AmiGo’ in Switzerland. The collaboration marks Apollo Go’s first project in Europe and aims to introduce a fully electric, autonomous mobility service across eastern Switzerland.
The AmiGo service will deploy Apollo Go’s latest-generation Level 4 autonomous vehicles in an area spanning the cantons of St. Gallen, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, and Appenzell Innerrhoden. Backed by the Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT), the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO), the Touring Club Switzerland (TCS), and several cantonal authorities, the project seeks to make public transport “more attractive for customers” through flexible, bookable, and on-demand service options.
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Apollo Go will supply its RT6 electric vehicle for the project—a purpose-built model designed for autonomous ride-hailing. The RT6 can seat up to four passengers and features a removable steering wheel, which will be taken out once the service transitions to full driverless operation. Initial testing is scheduled to begin in December 2025 using a pilot fleet to map routes and validate performance with safety drivers. Pilot operations for select user groups will follow in early 2026, while driverless trials are expected to begin in the second half of that year. Full-scale operations are planned to launch by the first quarter of 2027, at which point passengers will be able to book autonomous rides through a mobile app.
“We’re bringing the mobility of the future to Eastern Switzerland – flexible, digital and in line with our customers’ needs,” said Stefan Regli, Head of Mobility Services and Member of Executive Management at Swiss Post. “They will benefit from a service that’s adapted to their everyday lives and opens up new mobility options. I’d particularly like to thank our strong partners – without their committed support, this innovative, on-demand service wouldn’t be possible. Together, we’re shaping the future of public transport.”
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Jürg Röthlisberger, Director of the Federal Roads Office (ASTRA), highlighted the importance of such pilot projects, noting that “autonomous driving is no longer a vision of the future, but a reality under development. It’s now important to gain experience with driverless vehicles. Pilot projects such as AmiGo show how Switzerland is using autonomous vehicles responsibly, providing safe, efficient and accessible mobility for all.”
Liang Zhang, Managing Director of EMEA at Baidu Apollo, expressed optimism about the collaboration, stating, “We’re delighted that PostBus has chosen Apollo Go as its technology partner. We already successfully operate over a thousand autonomous vehicles with over 14 million cumulative rides worldwide. We’re bringing this experience to our first project in Europe and hope we can continue to strengthen and expand our partnership with PostBus in the future.”
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Baidu, which entered the autonomous driving technology field in 2013, is among China’s pioneers in this area. Apollo Go currently operates a global fleet of more than 1,000 fully driverless vehicles, having accumulated over 200 million kilometers of autonomous driving mileage. The AmiGo project represents a major step in extending this experience to European roads, combining Baidu’s technological expertise with PostBus’s established public transport infrastructure.
