On July 29, 2026 (Beijing time), Apollo Go and Freenow by Lyft have started RT6 road tests in London's Brent area with safety operators onboard; meanwhile, Hong Kong Airport Island entered a stage of remote monitoring without onboard backup operators on July 27. Official company announcements from London and public materials from the Hong Kong government separately recorded these two supervisory arrangements. Both are currently in testing phases. The London announcement was released on July 28, with timelines close but different supervision conditions that cannot be combined.
Road Environment and Collaboration Division in Brent Area
The RT6 road tests in London take place in the Brent area, which spans western and northwestern parts of London. The testing environment includes urban and suburban roads. Apollo Go provides vehicles and autonomous driving technology, while Freenow by Lyft offers local operational experience; official announcements refer to RT6 as the sixth-generation vehicle designed for mobility services. Safety operators are part of the current test conditions, but companies have not disclosed specific routes, test durations, fleet sizes, or remote assistance arrangements, nor provided safety conclusions.
The tests in London are currently road tests and not public commercial services. The two companies plan to start carrying public passengers in 2027, with regulatory approval as a prerequisite; however, specific dates, fleet sizes, fares, and licensing details have not been disclosed. Existing materials only confirm that testing has begun and outline a conditional future plan without asserting that public service has been approved or the technology is ready for commercial operation. The announcement does not specify what criteria must be met to transition into carrying passengers.
Test Status and Future Public Passenger Service Planning
Company announcements state that autonomous vehicles will eventually form a hybrid network with Freenow's existing taxis and private rental cars. Freenow and Lyft have communicated with Transport for London and the UK Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles about this project, emphasizing safety and collaboration with city departments as key points. The announcement does not specify whether these communications resulted in specific permits or provide rules for ride requests, service hours, passenger eligibility, or operational outcomes once vehicles join the hybrid network.
On July 23, Hong Kong's Transport Department updated its pilot license to allow testing on Airport Island without onboard backup operators; this phase began on July 27 with remote monitoring by backup operators in a control center. The department stated that approval was based on previous test reports and multiple site inspections, noting that previous remote operation tests met safety, stability, accuracy, and smoothness requirements. Public materials do not disclose the number of vehicles involved in this unmanned phase.
Start-up Situation for Unmanned Phase at Hong Kong Airport Island
On July 27, the Hong Kong government publicly updated that test routes on Airport Island include roundabouts, intersections requiring yielding, and different traffic conditions during various times of day. Vehicles participating in testing must display a purple unmanned test label designated by the Transport Department; updates also state that operators have developed safety management and emergency plans and are required to purchase third-party risk insurance and install electronic data recorders. These are regulatory and investigative arrangements for Hong Kong's tests, which cannot be applied as conditions for London's tests.
The government news stated that unmanned testing on Airport Island operated smoothly on the first day, maintaining stability even during rain. This statement only records official observations from the first day, not long-term safety, reliability, or commercial viability conclusions. Vehicles were monitored by remote backup operators in a control center with no onboard backup operator present. The Transport Department said it would continue to review remote test performance and conduct site inspections; subsequent conclusions should be based on such regulatory materials.
Company Goals for Hybrid Network Plan
Freenow by Lyft describes the London arrangement as a hybrid network plan aimed at integrating autonomous vehicles with existing taxis and private rental cars within the same platform to offer different travel options. Baidu lists the London road tests among its overseas deployment plans, providing RT6 vehicles and autonomous driving technology in collaboration. These are public statements about cooperation direction and division of labor; current announcements do not provide data on order efficiency, passenger experience, or commercial performance.
Specific licensing names for London testing, test durations, fleet sizes, fares, service hours, passenger eligibility, remote assistance arrangements, and accident handling procedures have not been disclosed. The plan to carry public passengers in 2027 is subject to regulatory approval. Hong Kong materials currently provide the basis for Transport Department approvals, supervision methods, and first-day observations; they cannot replace longer-term test records. To compare progress between the two locations later on, one must separately verify regulatory documents, testing scopes, and continuous operational data; projects under different supervisory conditions should not be combined for evaluation.