Nashville, TN —Tech giants Waymo and Lyft are teaming up to roll out self-driving robotaxi rides across Music City, beginning public service in 2026. This strategic partnership aims to make Nashville one of America’s leading cities for autonomous vehicle adoption.
Nashville Welcomes the Future of Urban Mobility
Cars driving themselves? Not a dream—a new way to get around Nashville, starting soon. Waymo and Lyft are betting big on Music City, promising to launch fully autonomous ride-hailing service for everyone, not just the tech-savvy crowd. Their deal means residents and tourists might see Waymo’s all-electric Jaguar I-Pace cars shuttling folks to concerts, honky-tonks, and everywhere else.
How Will It Work?
Users in Nashville will first be able to summon Waymo’s robotaxis through the Waymo app. As the service ramps up, booking a ride will also become possible on Lyft’s own platform—bridging familiar ride-hailing convenience with cutting-edge self-driving tech. The partnership will open robotaxi access next year for testing, then to the full public in 2026.
Lyft’s subsidiary, Flexdrive, will manage all vehicle readiness, maintenance, and fleet operations in town. That’s good news for reliability and speedy fleet expansion—the plan is to eventually scale to hundreds of vehicles all over Nashville.
Why Nashville? And why now?
Waymo picked Nashville for a few reasons. The city’s tech infrastructure has been growing. The music and event scene brings a steady flow of locals and visitors needing rides. Autonomous vehicles promise to offer safe, consistent, and accessible transit that adapts to shifting demand. Plus, Nashville’s layout and recent investment in smart city tech create a friendly environment for these advanced vehicles.
Waymo’s tech has racked up millions of driverless miles already. The new Nashville rollout is not small: it’s another proof point that the company is one of the only services running fully driverless rides for paying passengers—already seen in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta. Each new city brings learnings the company can use to scale up quickly.
Industry Impact: Lyft, Uber, Tesla & the Race for Robotaxis
The deal matters beyond Nashville. This is the first time Waymo is offering commercial rides through Lyft’s network, after previous pilot projects in other states. It’s a direct answer to competitors like Uber and Tesla, both of which have rolled out their own autonomous pilots in US cities.
Lyft, once trailing Uber, hopes this partnership will sharpen its competitive edge. Both companies said Nashville is only the start—they plan to move into more cities together in the coming years.
Tesla has also run limited robocar services in Austin and discussed plans for the Bay Area. Internationally, heavy hitters like Baidu’s Apollo Go are working on similar projects in China, Asia, and Europe.
What About Safety, Pricing, and Regulations?
While both companies have released few details about ride pricing or earnings, safety remains the big question for many Nashvillians. Waymo says its tech has logged millions of safe miles and tens of thousands of driverless trips, supporting their mission: “the world’s most trusted driver.”
The fleet will be based out of a new, specialized facility in Nashville—funded in part by Lyft—where vehicles get charged and serviced around the clock. State and local officials say the city will work closely with both companies to monitor safety and help ensure smooth operations.
What’s Next for Riders?
Once testing is complete, anyone in Nashville needing a lift could soon be riding in a driverless Jaguar I-Pace. To start, you’ll launch the Waymo app, choose your route, and track your robotaxi as it approaches. Eventually, that same ride-hailing experience will be available in the familiar Lyft app.
Waymo and Lyft expect public excitement to grow as the service expands. Riders can keep watching for branded robotaxis around town as more vehicles hit the streets in 2026.
Looking Ahead
As more cities welcome driverless cars, the world will watch how Music City’s hospitality meshes with robotaxi tech. For Nashville, this new partnership signals modern mobility just might become the city’s next signature sound.
