Waymo announced plans to launch its driverless taxi service in Nashville, Tennessee, starting next year. The company will initially offer rides through its own app and later expand availability to the Lyft platform.
This move marks a shift for Waymo, which has previously partnered with Uber for robotaxi services in cities such as Atlanta and Austin, Texas. By working with Lyft in Nashville, Waymo’s autonomous vehicles will be accessible on both of the largest ride-hailing apps in the United States.
Tesla is also developing its own driverless ride service in Austin as part of CEO Elon Musk’s ongoing efforts to advance autonomous vehicle technology.
The partnership could benefit Lyft as it seeks to recover from reduced demand during the pandemic. While Uber has experienced significant growth since 2019—reflected by a tripling of its market value—Lyft’s stock remains below pre-pandemic levels. Lyft appointed David Risher as CEO two years ago and entered into an agreement with May Mobility to provide driverless rides in Atlanta, directly competing with Waymo and Uber.
Following news of the collaboration with Waymo, Lyft shares rose 13% to close at $22.84 on Wednesday.
Waymo and Lyft have worked together before; they previously offered limited robotaxi rides via Lyft during early testing phases in Phoenix in 2019. That partnership ended after testing concluded and Waymo began offering fully driverless rides independently more than five years ago.
