Waymo Introduces Robotaxi Plans For Business & Expands To Nashville With Lyft

A few days ago, it was reported that Tesla received approval to begin testing its autonomous robotaxis in Arizona, albeit with a safety monitor present in the vehicle.

Having applied for a permit to trial its vehicles on the state's roads in June, the automaker now aims to begin testing in the Phoenix Metro area. The company didn't clarify when the trials would begin, nor how long they would run.

In June, Tesla also deployed its first robotaxis in Texas and successfully delivered its first autonomous Model Y around 30 minutes away from its gigafactory.

While Tesla is a big name in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, it’s getting outshone by China's BYD. It's also a prominent name in the autonomous mobility space, but is losing out to numerous competitors, not just globally but also domestically, where Alphabet-backed Waymo is leading the way.

In its most recent innovative development, Waymo introduced Waymo for Business, which includes special plans for businesses that allow them to offer their employees fully autonomous rides at subsidized rates.

The move comes as the company found that almost 1 in 6 of its local riders in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix use Waymo to travel to work or school, from early morning to late night.

Waymo is now inviting businesses, employers, universities, and event organizers to sign up to avail such ride-hailing services, following several successful trial runs conducted with various organizations.

“With Waymo for Business, we’re bringing that same 24/7 reliability and convenience directly to organizations,” reads its blog post announcing the new service.


The new service, which will first come to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, will allow partners to offer their employees, students, or guests a sustainable, convenient, and safe mode of transportation that uses “cutting-edge technology” to “reclaim their time, whether they need to catch up on emails, relax, or make a private call.”

“We are proud to provide Waymo rides for both employees and guests of our hosted events,” said Andrea Appiagyei, who is in charge of Strategic Partnerships at Carvana, a Phoenix-based online used car marketplace and one of Waymo's first customers in this endeavor.

“We're committed to safety and sustainability, which makes Waymo a natural fit for business travel. When we host events, attendees love the premium and personal experience of an autonomous ride.”

Partners can manage their transportation program through Waymo’s Business portal to set program parameters, manage users, manage rides for events, monitor ride activity, track their budget, and more.

Waymo’s Business is still in its early stages, and the company is exploring how it can be improved.


Earlier in the month, Waymo revealed that its robotaxi fleet reached 2,000 vehicles, as it boasted coverage of more than 100 million miles.

It also said it received authorization to offer fully autonomous rides at San José Mineta International Airport (SJC) terminals, marking its second such airport—Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Furthermore, in mid-September, Waymo received its pilot permit to bring its services to San Francisco International Airport. Here, it will partner with SFO to prepare its operations at the airport in phases, beginning with employee testing, before opening up for Bay Area riders.

It has even expanded to (or has plans) cities such as Philadelphia, Atlanta, New York, Washington, and more, which follows its plan to test its vehicles in ten new cities in the U.S., starting with Las Vegas and San Diego. The company has even tested in Tokyo, Japan, and recently revealed plans for Dallas, Texas.

More recently, though, it announced the arrival of its fully autonomous robotaxis to riders in Nashville, Tennessee—"Music City”—which will be delivered in partnership with ride-hailing service provider Lyft.

“We’re delighted to partner with Lyft and launch in Nashville next year, as we continue to scale our Waymo ride-hailing service to more people in more places,” said Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana. “Lyft’s extensive fleet management capabilities through Flexdrive make them an ideal partner for expanding to Nashville. We can’t wait to introduce Music City’s residents and visitors to the convenient, consistent, safe, and magical Waymo experience.”

Waymo will begin fully autonomous operations in Nashville in the coming months and will be open to public riders next year.

Do you think these moves by Waymo will help it retain a commanding position in the robotaxi sector?

Let us know in the comments below!