Ride-hailing platform Lyft has announced a new partnership with BENTELER Mobility to bring autonomous shuttles to its US network from 2026.
The collaboration is intended to broaden access to autonomous transport within urban environments, with initial deployments focusing on airports and city centres.
The vehicles, developed by HOLON GmbH (a BENTELER subsidiary specialising in autonomous mobility), will operate on the Lyft platform and are designed to accommodate shared, on-demand travel.
Equipped with Mobileye’s autonomous driving technology, the shuttles represent a shift toward purpose-built AV solutions, developed specifically for high-frequency, short-distance travel in complex urban environments.
Unlike many AV initiatives that rely on retrofitting conventional vehicles, the HOLON shuttle has been engineered from the ground up for autonomous operation.
A new 100 million USD production facility in Jacksonville, Florida, will serve as a hub for initial output. The facility is part of a wider global manufacturing and integration strategy that BENTELER says can support varied vehicle types and geographies over time.
Jeremy Bird, Lyft’s Executive Vice President of Driver Experience said:BENTELER Mobility is exactly the kind of partner we need to accelerate our AV ambitions. They're not just a tech company — they're closely linked to a massive automotive supplier with deep manufacturing expertise and global reach. Plus, their fleet ownership and financing capabilities mean they have ambitions to own and operate vehicles at scale, not just build them — a rarity in this industry. All this means we can more quickly deploy AVs at the speed and scale our riders deserve.
To support vehicle procurement and deployment, Lyft will work with BENTELER Trading International, BENTELER’s finance and trading arm. The parties plan to invest tens of millions of dollars in growing an autonomous fleet, with the possibility of scaling to thousands of vehicles over time.
Pilot testing is scheduled to begin next year, with further deployments expected from late 2026.
The autonomous shuttles will be available through Lyft’s existing app interface, with a focus on seamless integration alongside human-driven services.
