"The deal also illustrates Waymo's desire to move beyond being a sole operator and towards being an autonomous vehicle technology provider. Earlier this year, Waymo launched a robotaxi service with Uber in Atlanta and Austin. Under that arrangement, Waymo is responsible for vehicle testing, roadside assistance, and certain aspects of rider support, while Uber manages fleet services such as vehicle cleaning, maintenance, inspections, charging, and depot operations through a company called Moove Cars."
"The Waymo-Lyft partnership in Nashville has one key difference from the company's relationship with Uber in Atlanta and Austin. In Nashville, robotaxi customers will be able to access robotaxis in two ways. Users will initially hail rides directly through the Waymo app. Once the service expands, Waymo will also dispatch its autonomous vehicles for matched rides on the Lyft app."
Waymo and Lyft will launch a robotaxi service in Nashville in 2026. Waymo will begin testing its all-electric, autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in the Nashville area in the coming months and plans to open the service to the public next year. The partnership continues Waymo's robotaxi expansion beyond Phoenix into multiple U.S. cities and signals a shift toward providing autonomous vehicle technology to partners. Lyft, through its Flexdrive subsidiary, will handle fleet services, infrastructure, depot operations, and is investing in a purpose-built AV facility, while Waymo will lead vehicle testing, roadside assistance, and rider support. Initial rides will be hailed via the Waymo app, with future matched dispatches via the Lyft app.
Read at TechCrunch
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