TechCrunch Mobility: Lyft has entered the robotaxi chat
Lyft has moved into commercial robotaxi services for the first time, after Waymo's driverless vehicles began appearing on its app in Nashville this week. The milestone marks a significant shift for Lyft, which has previously only partnered on autonomous vehicle (AV) trials but not offered fully driverless rides without a human safety operator, and signals renewed ambition in a sector it exited five years ago.
Under the Nashville deal, Lyft manages fleet services such as vehicle readiness, maintenance, and depot operations through its subsidiary Flexdrive, while riders can book a Waymo via either the Waymo or Lyft app. Lyft previously developed its own AV technology through its Level 5 division before selling the unit to Toyota's Woven Planet for $550 million in 2021. Speaking to TechCrunch, Lyft executive Jeremy Bird said 2027 would bring "more diversification" of AV partnerships, including expansion with Waymo and Baidu (which is preparing to launch in London), as Lyft increasingly positions itself as a global operator prioritising markets with favourable AV regulation.
- Waymo robotaxis now bookable via Lyft's app in Nashville.
- Lyft's first genuine commercial driverless robotaxi service.
- Lyft plans to expand AV partnerships internationally, including London, in 2027.
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Waymo, the driverless car company owned by Google's parent Alphabet, has been testing and running robotaxi services in various US cities. Lyft is a ride-hailing app that competes with Uber, connecting passengers with drivers through its app. Until now, Lyft has never offered rides in fully driverless vehicles, having tried and then abandoned its own self-driving car project some years ago.
The two companies have now teamed up in Nashville, Tennessee, where Waymo's driverless cars can be booked through either the Waymo app or the Lyft app. Lyft's role is behind the scenes, handling practical jobs like keeping the cars maintained, ready to use and based at depots, rather than developing the self-driving technology itself.
This matters because it shows ride-hailing firms are finding new ways to work with self-driving car specialists rather than building the technology themselves, and it points to driverless taxis becoming more widely available in more cities. Lyft has also indicated it wants to strike similar deals with other self-driving companies in different countries as rules there allow.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Advocates of Lyft's expansion into robotaxi partnerships argue that autonomous vehicles have already demonstrated strong safety records in cities like Phoenix and San Francisco, and that scaling driverless rides can reduce accidents caused by human error, cut costs for riders, and widen transport access in areas underserved by drivers. From this view, Lyft's pragmatic pivot toward partnering with technology leaders like Waymo and Baidu, rather than rebuilding its own costly AV division, reflects sound business judgement and lets the company focus on what it does well: fleet management and rider-facing logistics. Supporters also see healthy competition among multiple AV providers as beneficial for innovation, pricing, and consumer choice.
The case against
Sceptics raise legitimate concerns about the pace and governance of this shift, noting that expanding robotaxis threatens the livelihoods of human rideshare drivers who depend on platforms like Lyft for income, with little clarity on retraining or transition support. They also point to unresolved questions around accountability and safety oversight when things go wrong with driverless vehicles, and worry that companies are choosing to expand in jurisdictions with favourable regulation rather than waiting for broader regulatory consensus or public consultation. For these critics, prioritising rapid commercial rollout risks outpacing the safety, labour, and ethical frameworks needed to responsibly manage such a significant change to urban transport.