Waymo launches robotaxi service in Nashville through Lyft partnership

Waymo has officially launched its robotaxi service in Nashville after months of preparation, including manual driving and testing its autonomous system with human safety operators behind the wheel. With this rollout, Nashville becomes the 11th city where the public can access Waymo’s self-driving ride service.

The company confirmed Tuesday that the service is now open to the public, though it is being introduced gradually. Waymo spokesperson Chris Pappas said riders will be invited in phases, allowing the company to carefully expand operations while maintaining a reliable and high-quality user experience.

At launch, the service will cover a 60-square-mile area within Nashville. While the exact fleet size was not disclosed, Waymo indicated that dozens of autonomous vehicles are already available in the city to support the rollout.

A key element of the Nashville launch is its partnership with Lyft, marking a departure from Waymo’s collaborations with Uber in other cities, including Austin, Atlanta, and Phoenix. The structure of this partnership introduces a different user experience compared to previous markets.

Initially, passengers in Nashville will request rides directly through the Waymo app. As the service grows, the company plans to integrate its robotaxis into the Lyft app as well, giving users multiple ways to book a ride. Lyft will play a significant operational role through its subsidiary Flexdrive, which will oversee fleet maintenance, vehicle readiness, charging infrastructure, and depot management.

This setup contrasts with Waymo’s arrangement in cities like Austin and Atlanta, where riders must use the Uber app and may be matched with either a human driver or a robotaxi. In Nashville, the approach is designed to eventually offer riders dual access through both Waymo and Lyft platforms.

Waymo has adopted a hybrid operational model across different markets. In some locations, it partners with external companies to manage fleet logistics and ride-hailing integration, while in others — such as San Francisco — it operates more independently. For example, Avis handles depot operations, including maintenance and charging, in Dallas, while Moove manages autonomous fleets in Phoenix and is expected to support future deployments in London.

These partnerships reflect Waymo’s broader strategy of positioning itself as a technology provider rather than a full-scale operator over the long term. However, in the near term, the company continues to expand its footprint rapidly.

Waymo, which operates under Alphabet Inc., now offers paid robotaxi services in a growing list of cities, including Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, Phoenix, San Antonio, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Backed by approximately $16 billion in funding, the company shows no signs of slowing its expansion as it scales autonomous transportation across the United States and beyond.