Lyft and Waymo are partnering to bring robotaxis to Nashville

Waymo and Lyft have announced a partnership to launch a robotaxi service in Nashville by 2026. Waymo will begin testing its all-electric, autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in the Nashville area soon and plans to open the service to the public next year. This expansion is part of Waymo’s broader strategy to grow its robotaxi operations beyond its initial market in Phoenix to multiple cities including Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Dallas, and Denver. The deal also signals Waymo’s shift from being solely an operator of autonomous vehicles to becoming a technology provider, collaborating with ride-hailing companies to manage fleet operations. The Nashville partnership mirrors Waymo’s existing arrangement with Uber in Atlanta and Austin, where Waymo handles vehicle testing and roadside support while the ride-hailing partner manages fleet services such as maintenance and charging. However, a key difference in Nashville is that customers will initially hail robotaxis directly through the Waymo app, with plans to integrate autonomous vehicle dispatch on the