Baidu Apollo Go Secures Level 4 Autonomous Permit in Switzerland

Baidu is positioning itself ahead of Western competitors in the European public transport sector. The company’s Apollo Go service has received a Level 4 autonomous driving permit in Switzerland for its AmiGo robotaxi service, operating alongside Swiss Post’s PostBus.

The Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) granted a special permit that covers an 80 km² service area across three eastern cantons: St. Gallen, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, and Appenzell Innerrhoden. While open-road testing began on June 1, 2026, the vehicles currently run with a safety operator on board. This approval establishes the framework for a step-by-step rollout rather than authorizing fully driverless rides immediately. Baidu intends to move from closed-group user trials to regular operations bookable through the AmiGo app, with a target start date in 2027.

The deployment utilizes the RT6 robotaxi, a vehicle Baidu first unveiled in 2022. The RT6 is fully electric, carries up to three passengers, and uses more than 30 sensors for environmental perception and data processing. A key feature of the hardware is a detachable steering wheel, which the company plans to remove once the service transitions to fully autonomous operations.

This development signals a shift in the geographic distribution of autonomous deployment. By securing regulatory approval in Europe, Baidu is applying its scale—noted by millions of fully driverless rides in the first quarter of 2026—to a new market. The project aims to become the largest planned automated public transport operation of its kind in Europe.

The success of AmiGo depends on the transition from supervised testing to driverless service. Watch whether Baidu can provide the necessary safety evidence to move beyond the current requirement for an onboard operator.