Lyft's Robotaxi Milestone: Waymo Rides Now on the Lyft App
Lyft reached a significant milestone this week as Waymo robotaxis became available on its app in Nashville. Under the partnership, Lyft provides fleet services—including vehicle readiness and maintenance—as well as infrastructure and depot operations through its wholly owned subsidiary, Flexdrive.
In Nashville, customers can hail a Waymo robotaxi directly through the Waymo app, or try their luck on the Lyft app, which will match riders with a Waymo based on availability.
While Lyft has dabbled in autonomous vehicle technology for years—through partnerships with Aptiv (now Motional) in Las Vegas, May Mobility in Atlanta, Baidu in London, and Waymo in Phoenix—this week stands out as Lyft's first true entry into commercial robotaxi services using driverless vehicles without a human operator behind the wheel.
From Building AV Tech to Partnering
It's worth remembering that Lyft spent four years and millions of dollars developing its own AV technology under its Level 5 business division. In 2021, the company sold its autonomous vehicle unit to Toyota's Woven Planet Holdings subsidiary for $550 million—one of many acquisitions during a period of widespread consolidation in the nascent industry.
Lyft then stepped back from AVs to focus on its core ride-hailing business—but it never abandoned the idea entirely.
I spoke with Jeremy Bird, Lyft's executive vice president of growth, about this milestone. In his role, Bird manages Lyft's international, luxury, and autonomous vehicle plans—and sometimes all three converge.
Looking Ahead to 2026 and Beyond
When I asked Bird when we'll see more robotaxis on the Lyft app—and where—he didn't get too specific. But he did say the company entered 2026 focused on its partnerships with Waymo in Nashville and Baidu in London (where commercial service has not yet launched).
"I think next year what you'll see is more diversification of that," he said, adding that ideally this would include expanding Lyft's partnerships with both companies. "I think next year will be a big year for us."
International markets appear to be a major part of that AV expansion plan. Bird called London a "fascinating market," and throughout our conversation he repeatedly referred to Lyft as a global company—a notable shift from just a few years ago when it was focused on the U.S. market.
So where is Lyft headed next? When it comes to international markets, Lyft seems to be prioritizing locations where it can operate a hybrid network—meaning AVs and human-driven vehicles—from the start.
via TechCrunch