What happened in China WeRide announced its entry into Slovakia through a partnership with Elevate Slovakia, launching what has been described as the country's first national-level autonomous driving project. The announcement marks WeRide's 12th country of operation — the company had previously tested or operated in over 40 cities across 11 countries before the Slovakia deal was signed. This is not an isolated move. In parallel, Baidu announced a partnership with Lyft to bring Apollo Go robotaxis to Europe, naming Germany and the UK as initial deployment targets, and separately confirmed plans to test robotaxis in Switzerland. Pony.ai, meanwhile, has begun output of 1,000 autonomous cabs and is targeting a 3,000-unit fleet by the end of 2026, while also partnering with Emile Weber and Stellantis to test robotaxis in European markets. Three Chinese AV companies. Multiple EU member states. A coordinated, if uncoordinated-looking, wave. ## How it works /…