A Baidu Apollo Go robotaxi in Hong Kong. Credit: Baidu
- Apollo Go and Kazakhstan’s TPH signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly explore introducing robotaxi services in the country.
- The partnership marks the first entry of Chinese driverless vehicles into Central Asia and is Apollo Go’s latest global expansion move.
Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing platform Apollo Go signed a strategic cooperation agreement on Thursday with Kazakhstan-based Turlov Private Holding Ltd (TPH) to jointly explore introducing autonomous driving technology and mobility services in the country.
The move marks the first entry of Chinese robotaxis into Central Asia and is the Chinese technology giant’s latest step in expanding globally after accelerating its push into the Middle East and Europe.
The agreement was signed in Shanghai ahead of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC 2026). Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan, attended and witnessed the signing ceremony.
The companies will draw on TPH’s local resources and expertise, as well as Apollo Go’s existing capabilities in autonomous driving technology and operations, to promote the deployment of driverless mobility services in Kazakhstan, Baidu said in a statement.
The partnership further expands Apollo Go’s global footprint. As of May, the service had established operations in 27 cities worldwide, including Hong Kong, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Apollo Go had provided more than 22 million rides to the public as of April 2026, according to Baidu’s statement.
Its fully driverless ride orders reached 3.2 million in the first quarter of 2026 alone, while weekly orders peaked at more than 350,000 in March.
Apollo Go’s fleet has accumulated more than 330 million kilometers of autonomous driving mileage worldwide, including over 220 million kilometers without a safety driver, while maintaining a strong safety record, the company said.
In the Middle East, Apollo Go began fully driverless commercial operations in Dubai at the end of March. It signed an exclusive agreement with Dubai Taxi Company (DTC), the emirate’s largest state-owned taxi operator, and has also entered into a global partnership with Uber Technologies.
In Europe, Apollo Go last month obtained a permit to operate L4 robotaxis in Switzerland, covering an area of about 80 square kilometers across 3 cantons in the eastern part of the country, including St. Gallen. Road testing began on June 1.
Apollo Go also announced in February that it would formally enter the South Korean market, starting with the Seoul metropolitan area. That marked the service’s first expansion into an Asian market outside the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.
Apollo Go launched fully driverless commercial operations in Dubai as planned, following a brief suspension of its UAE operations earlier this month due to regional conflict.
