Lyft Gets Fully Driverless Robotaxis With Waymo In Nashville

After spending years developing autonomous vehicle technology, selling its AV division, and then stepping back from the space, Lyft has finally put fully driverless robotaxis on its app through a partnership with Waymo in Nashville.

Riders can now be matched with a Waymo vehicle directly through Lyft, making Nashville the first market where Waymo’s autonomous vehicles are available through both the Waymo and Lyft apps.

This follows a previously struck partnership between the two comapnies.
 

TL;DR

 

• Lyft users in Nashville can now be matched with fully autonomous Waymo robotaxis.
• Eligible Lyft rides include Standard, Priority Pickup, Wait & Save, and Extra Comfort trips.
• Flexdrive will handle fleet management and open an 80,000-square-foot Nashville depot.
• Lyft sees autonomous and human-driven vehicles operating together as part of a hybrid transportation network.

 

Lyft Brings Waymo Robotaxis To Nashville Through Its Ride-Hailing App

Lyft riders requesting eligible trips within central Nashville can now be paired with a Waymo vehicle at no additional cost.

The service covers areas including Downtown/Broadway, North Nashville/Germantown, East Nashville, Midtown, and South Nashville, provided the trip begins and ends within the supported Waymo service area.

Availability will expand gradually in the coming weeks. Lyft and Waymo will dispatch vehicles dynamically from a single fleet across both companies' apps, while riders can decline an autonomous vehicle or opt out of AV rides completely.

“Nashville riders have been quick to embrace autonomous vehicles as part of how they get around the city,” said Sid Patil, Head of Rideshare at Lyft. “Adding Waymo vehicles to our marketplace is a natural fit.”

For Lyft, the launch is especially notable given its complicated history with autonomous vehicles. The company previously spent years developing its own AV technology through its Level 5 division before selling the unit to Toyota’s Woven Planet Holdings subsidiary for $550 million in 2021.

Lyft later shifted its attention back toward its core ride-hailing business, while continuing to pursue autonomous mobility through partnerships.
 

 

Flexdrive Will Manage Waymo's Nashville Robotaxi Fleet

Lyft is doing more than simply adding Waymo vehicles to its app. Its wholly owned subsidiary Flexdrive is responsible for fleet management in Nashville, including keeping the autonomous vehicles ready for service.

Flexdrive is also set to open a purpose-built, 80,000-square-foot depot in October. Lyft said the facility is bringing more than 70 new full-time roles to Nashville this year, including technicians, fleet operations leads, coordinators, and service coordinators.

The arrangement gives Lyft an operational role in autonomous mobility even though it no longer develops its own self-driving technology.
 

 

Lyft Sees Human Drivers And Robotaxis Sharing The Same Network

Lyft is positioning Waymo vehicles as an additional layer within its existing transportation network rather than a replacement for human drivers.

Human-driven rides will continue operating throughout and around Waymo's Nashville service area, creating what Lyft describes as a hybrid network. The company has also held forums and events with local drivers to discuss the arrival of autonomous vehicles.

“Demand in this city keeps climbing, and I believe we're strongest in serving more riders when autonomous vehicles and human drivers grow side by side,” said Yuko Yamazaki, Head of Driver at Lyft.

The Nashville launch gives Lyft its clearest commercial step yet into fully driverless ride-hailing, while its broader autonomous ambitions continue through partnerships that also include Waymo and Baidu.