Apps & Consumer
Waymo launches robotaxi service in Nashville with Lyft partnership
Waymo has launched its robotaxi service in Nashville, its 11th city, utilizing a slow-roll approach and a new fleet partnership with Lyft subsidiary Flexdrive.
On Tuesday, Waymo announced the opening of its robotaxi—a driverless vehicle that shuttles people for a fee—service to the public in Nashville. The launch marks the 11th city where the public can hail a Waymo vehicle. The company is taking a “slow-roll” approach to the expansion. Waymo spokesperson Chris Pappas stated that the company will invite riders on a rolling basis to “thoughtfully scale while delivering a consistent, high-quality experience.” Waymo currently has dozens of vehicles available in Nashville, initially operating within a 60-square-mile area.
The Nashville launch introduces a distinct partnership model. Lyft, through its wholly owned subsidiary Flexdrive, will manage fleet services, including vehicle readiness, maintenance, charging infrastructure, and depot operations—which refer to vehicle maintenance, charging, and storage facilities. This setup differs from Waymo’s existing partnerships with Uber in other cities like Austin, Atlanta, and Phoenix, where the ride-hailing app serves as the primary interface for booking. In Nashville, riders will initially hail rides directly through the Waymo app, with plans to make the vehicles available through the Lyft app as the service expands.
These partnerships underscore Waymo’s strategy to position itself as a technology supplier rather than a sole operator. The company has taken a mixed approach to operations across different markets. While it goes it mostly alone in San Francisco, it pairs with partners to manage fleets in other cities. For example, Avis handles general depot operations in Dallas, while Moove manages autonomous vehicles in Phoenix and is expected to do the same when Waymo launches in London. Backed by $16 billion in new capital, Waymo continues to scale its autonomous services across multiple major markets, including Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, and San Antonio.
Why it matters
The Nashville launch highlights Waymo’s evolving strategy to act as a technology supplier by offloading fleet operations to partners like Lyft, rather than operating as a standalone service provider in every market.