Waymo robotaxis go live on the Lyft app in Nashville

Waymo’s driverless cars can now be booked through the Lyft app in Nashville, making it the first market where the same autonomous fleet is available through two competing rideshare platforms. Riders can choose from Standard, Priority Pickup, Wait and Save, or Extra Comfort, with no additional charge for being matched with an autonomous vehicle. The service covers central Nashville, including Downtown and Broadway, North Nashville and Germantown, East Nashville, Midtown and South Nashville. Availability will expand over the coming weeks, with rides assigned dynamically across the two platforms. The arrangement leaves each company responsible for a different part of the business. Waymo keeps the software, sensors and regulatory approvals, while Lyft handles the physical side of running the fleet, including cleaning, charging, inspections and repairs.

• Waymo owns the vehicles and handles the driving technology, while Lyft manages the fleet and local operations.
• The partnership gives people in Nashville another way to use fully autonomous vehicles.
• Nashville is a deliberate choice for Waymo because it is a growing mid-sized city with a relatively compact downtown and a regulatory environment that is open to autonomous vehicles.
• The move also fits with Waymo’s changing relationship with Uber, as it ends its exclusivity with Uber in Austin and Atlanta and plans to launch its own app in those cities in 2028.
• The expansion comes while the technology is still dealing with practical problems, such as floodwater and software updates.
• The contrast with Europe is becoming clearer, as London’s first robotaxi service, operated by Uber and Wayve, launched with a safety driver in every vehicle.

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