Amazon (AMZN.US) may be set to acquire Lyft (LYFT.US), potentially transforming the taxi industry in the future.

Information's Anita Ramaswami believes that Lyft could be an attractive acquisition target for Amazon (AMZN.US) as it would help the e-commerce giant expand its robot taxi business and better compete with Tesla (TSLA.US) and Alphabet (GOOGL.US)'s Waymo.

"Existing ride services will go through a period of disruption. Uber is one such company that has been preparing for a future full of self-driving taxis. Lyft, its main competitor, is in much worse shape, making it a ripe acquisition target, which I think Amazon will make," Ramaswami said.

While Lyft would certainly benefit from a partnership with Amazon, what would the e-commerce giant get?

Lyft's 24 million active users would be a "key" to helping Amazon commercialize its autonomous ambitions. The Lyft-Zoox partnership (which Amazon acquired in 2020) would pose a "direct and credible" threat to Waymo, while also increasing the potential for Amazon to expand Zoox into the food delivery space.

Clearly, Amazon has been quietly laying the groundwork for the future of transportation. Through Lyft, Amazon would not only get a mature service but also leverage Zoox's technological advantages to develop more efficient transportation solutions. This potential acquisition would likely set off a chain reaction in the future of smart transportation, as it would naturally bring about a more disruptive impact on the market.

Lyft's stock soared nearly 5% on the potential merger, its first rise in five days.