Lyft Launches Driverless Service With Waymo Robotaxis in Nashville

    Lyft added Waymo robotaxis to its app in Nashville this week and began commercial driverless rides. This is the company’s first real commercial robotaxi service operating without a human behind the wheel. Under the agreement, Lyft is responsible for keeping the vehicles in working order, maintenance, depots, and other infrastructure.    In Nashville, passengers can order a robotaxi directly through the Waymo app. The Lyft app also matches passengers with a Waymo robotaxi when one is available. Lyft prepares the vehicles for trips, while depot operations are managed by its wholly owned Flexdrive division.    Lyft previously participated in driverless vehicle projects with Aptiv in Las Vegas, May Mobility in Atlanta, Baidu in London, and Waymo in Phoenix. The company also spent 4 years developing its own self-driving technology in its Level 5 division. However, it sold the division to Toyota subsidiary Woven Planet Holdings in 2021 for $550 million (approximately 935 million manats).    Jeremy Bird, the company’s executive vice president for development, said the main focus in 2026 is on its partnership with Waymo in Nashville and Baidu in London. Commercial service has not yet begun in London. Lyft plans to expand its work with both partners in 2027 and add more robotaxi options to its app.    International markets are an important part of the company’s expansion plan. Lyft wants to build a mixed network in new countries where driverless vehicles operate alongside human-driven cars. When selecting markets, the company will also consider how conducive local regulations are to robotaxi operations. Countries that are more open to robotaxis will be given priority in its expansion plan.