Baidu Accelerates Robotaxi Expansion and Opens the European DoorBy Ion Jauregui – Analyst at ActivTrades
Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU), the Chinese tech giant, is doubling down on autonomous vehicles through Apollo Go, its robotaxi platform. According to industry sources, the company is planning to expand into Europe, with Switzerland and Turkey as its first potential stops. Although Swiss Post has denied any official collaboration, Baidu has made clear its intention to open a Swiss office before the end of the year. This move could trigger a domino effect across Europe’s autonomous mobility ecosystem. Baidu not only leads the robotaxi market in China, but is also developing a globally scalable model. Europe, with its increasingly strict regulations on smart mobility and sustainability, could provide fertile ground to accelerate its deployment.
This is an opportunity that Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) has already sensed. The U.S.-based company has signed strategic agreements with Asian firms such as WeRide, Pony.ai, and Momenta, aiming to roll out its own fleet of electric robotaxis in both Europe and the Middle East. At the same time, it is launching a new low-cost service in the U.S. called “Route Share,” a shared ride option that runs along the busiest routes every 20 minutes at half the price of UberX.
The race to control the cities of the future isn’t limited to Uber and Baidu. Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) continues refining its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, while Waymo, Google’s (Alphabet, NASDAQ: GOOGL) autonomous vehicle division, already operates driverless robotaxis in several U.S. cities and also has its eyes on Europe. The message is clear: the autonomous driving war has begun, and the battlefield is global. While distrust toward Chinese suppliers grows in Washington—evidenced by Hesai (NASDAQ: HSAI) being added to the U.S. blacklist—Europe is opening new paths for companies like Uber, Bolt, or Free Now to either collaborate or compete with tech giants such as Baidu, Tesla, or Google in the development of urban autonomous fleets.
Baidu in Numbers
As of now, Baidu has not yet released its Q1 2025 financial results. The company is scheduled to announce them on May 21, 2025. However, according to available estimates, Baidu is expected to report a net income of approximately CNY 206.52 billion for fiscal year 2025, which would mark a significant 791.24% increase compared to the CNY 23.17 billion recorded in 2024. In terms of revenue, Baidu is projected to reach around CNY 139.78 billion in 2025, up from CNY 133.13 billion the previous year. These figures reflect a notable improvement in the company’s profitability, likely driven by its focus on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles.
For more detailed and updated information, it is recommended to consult Baidu’s official investor relations site after May 21, 2025, when the Q1 results will be published.
Technical Analysis
Since reaching its peak of $160.88 in 2023, Baidu’s stock has undergone a correction, dropping to a low of $73.58 in 2022, amid the onset of the U.S. tariff war. Currently, after the suspension of tariffs, the stock has rebounded to the $90 range, which corresponds to its current point of control, as trading volume has been concentrated around this price level. It is likely that, following the upcoming earnings report, the stock may surpass the $92.61 mark, which aligns with the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement level. However, to confirm a solid trend reversal, we would need to see a sustained upward crossover in moving averages—which has not yet occurred. So far, only a bullish crossover of the 50-day and 100-day moving averages was observed in Wednesday’s session. Investors should monitor whether this upward movement continues toward the secondary target of $96 during this summer quarter.
Why Does This Matter to Investors?
Baidu’s expansion into Europe could not only reshape the urban mobility landscape but also spark investment opportunities in software, hardware, LIDAR sensors, cybersecurity, and connected services. For companies like Uber, it also presents a chance to strengthen their leadership while reducing reliance on human drivers.
Europe is looking ahead, and in that future, robotaxis are not science fiction—they’re strategy.
*******************************************************************************************
The information provided does not constitute investment research. The material has not been prepared in accordance with the legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and such should be considered a marketing communication.
All information has been prepared by ActivTrades ("AT"). The information does not contain a record of AT's prices, or an offer of or solicitation for a transaction in any financial instrument. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information.
Any material provided does not have regard to the specific investment objective and financial situation of any person who may receive it. Past performance is not reliable indicator of future performance. AT provides an execution-only service. Consequently, any person acting on the information provided does so at their own risk.
