Waymo to offer autonomous rides in Nashville on Lyft ride-hailing network

By Norihiko Shirouuzu

(Reuters) -Alfabet’s Waymo plans to start offering autonomous cabin driving in cooperation with Ride Hailing Lyft in Nashville next year.

Riders in Music City will initially be able to greet themselves through the Waymo application. Companies said in a statement, as the service grows, the riders can use the Lyft application to match a Waymo tool, he said.

As part of the agreement, Lyft will deposit a amount that is not disclosed to an autonomous vehicle fleet management facility to charge and maintain Waymo vehicles. The two companies said LYFT’s services should maximize the time Waymo’s vehicles are operating and reduce costs.

Waymo’s driverless taxis would be the first commercial deployment in Lyft Ride-Hiing Network. Waymo already offers trips in Austin, Texas and Atlanta through the Uber application.

According to the company, Waymo’s fleet in Nashville is expected to grow to hundreds of vehicles over time.

Waymo increases operations in the US as the Robotaxi race warms up. Tesla used a limited Robotaxi service in Austin in June. Electric vehicle company, San Francisco Gulf Region plans to expand to expand, he said.

After starting Phoenix in 2020, Waymo now offers unpaid driver -driven driving driving in San Francisco Gulf Region, along with parts of Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin and Atlanta.

In addition to Nashville, the company plans to expand the operations to Miami, Washington, DC, Dallas and Denver. He has also received permission to start testing autonomous vehicles in New York with a trained specialist behind the steering wheel.

(Reporting in Austin by Norihiko Shirou;