Baidu’s Apollo Go and Freenow by Lyft have begun testing the sixth-generation RT6 autonomous vehicles in London’s Brent borough with safety operators on board, following Apollo Go’s receipt of Hong Kong’s first fully driverless Level 4 trial permit in a right-hand-drive market in July 2026. These milestones highlight Baidu’s ability to deploy its Apollo Go technology across complex right-hand-drive road systems, strengthening its global autonomous mobility credentials. The London and Hong Kong right-hand-drive milestones support the long-term case for autonomous driving as a diversified revenue stream, but they do not materially change the near-term picture of margin strain, negative free cash flow, and execution risk around AI monetization. Among recent announcements, Baidu’s first ever dividend policy in February 2026 stands out beside its Apollo Go expansion, with capital returns via a planned dividend and an authorized US$5,000 million buyback program. Baidu's narrative projects CN¥153.1 billion revenue and CN¥20.8 billion earnings by 2029, requiring 5.9% yearly revenue growth and an earnings increase of about CN¥16.1 billion from CN¥4.7 billion today. Some analysts were more cautious, assuming revenue of about CN¥139,700,000,000 and CN¥14,700,000,000 in earnings by 2029, and seeing London’s Apollo Go rollout as vulnerable to tighter global regulations