Lyft Will Use Chinese Driverless Cars in Britain and Germany
Lyft and Baidu plan to start service early next year, joining Uber and Momenta in using electric cars from China, which are the least expensive even with tariffs.
China’s automakers have teamed up with software companies to go global with their driverless cars, which are poised to claim a big share of a growing market as Western manufacturers are still preparing to compete.
The industry in China is expanding despite tariffs imposed last year by the European Union on electric cars, and despite some worries in Europe about the security implications of relying on Chinese suppliers.
Baidu, one of China’s biggest software companies, said on Monday that it would supply Lyft, an American ride-hailing service, with self-driving cars assembled by Jiangling Motors of China. Lyft is expected to begin operating them next year in Germany and Britain, subject to regulatory approval, the companies said.
The announcement comes three months after Uber and Momenta, a Chinese autonomous driving company, announced their own plans to begin offering self-driving cars in an unspecified European city early next year. Momenta will soon provide assisted driving technology to the Chinese company IM Motors for its cars sold in Britain.
