Lyft and Waymo have confirmed a new partnership to expand autonomous ride-hailing services to Nashville, beginning in 2026.
Under the agreement, Lyft’s fleet management subsidiary, Flexdrive, will take responsibility for operating Waymo’s vehicles in the city. This will include vehicle maintenance, charging, infrastructure support and depot operations. The launch builds on Waymo’s ongoing efforts to scale its fully autonomous ride-hailing services in the United States.
Initially, Nashville residents and visitors will be able to book Waymo vehicles through the Waymo app. Later in 2026, the autonomous fleet will also be available for matching through Lyft’s network.
Lyft CEO David Risher said:This partnership brings together best-in-class autonomous vehicles with best-in-class customer experience. Waymo has proven that its autonomous technology works at scale. When combined with Lyft's customer-obsession and world-class fleet management capabilities, it's two great tastes that go great together.
The two companies will also introduce a new marketplace integration, enabling vehicles to be dispatched across both the Lyft and Waymo platforms. This will help increase vehicle utilisation while offering riders access to autonomous options alongside Lyft’s driver community.
Lyft plans to establish a new facility in Nashville to manage the fleet. The site will be equipped for charging and servicing vehicles, with Flexdrive overseeing operations to maintain efficiency and performance.
Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said:We’re delighted to partner with Lyft and launch in Nashville next year, as we continue to scale our Waymo ride-hailing service to more people in more places. Lyft’s extensive fleet management capabilities through Flexdrive make them an ideal partner for expanding to Nashville. We can’t wait to introduce Music City’s residents and visitors to the convenient, consistent, safe, and magical Waymo experience.
