Lyft to Expand Waymo Robotaxi Fleet in Nashville by Year-End

Lyft plans to expand its Waymo robotaxi fleet in Nashville by year-end, aiming to increase its revenue through both managing fleets and matching riders to them. The company is paid through Waymo rides booked on its app and a fee for each available vehicle it maintains, charges, and cleans. CFO Michael Brous highlighted that the company is seeing positive early indications, such as expanding the service area, growing the fleet, and opening up airport rides. He also mentioned that robotaxis will take "a long time" to scale meaningfully, citing hardware, regulation, operational challenges, and a broader backlash against AI over data centers and job losses.

• Waymo is Alphabet's self-driving unit.
• Lyft's Flexdrive unit has serviced the Nashville fleet since June.
• Lyft opened an 80,000-square-foot depot in Nashville in October.
• Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana announced ending its exclusivity agreement with Uber in Austin and Atlanta from January 2028.
• Lyft's adjusted core profit rose 47% to $203.9 million in the third quarter, beating analysts' estimates.

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