Lyft Shares Soar After Partnership with Waymo on Autonomous Ride-Hailing Service, Uber Loses Exclusive

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Lyft shares surged following the announcement of a new partnership with Waymo, Google’s autonomous driving technology company, to bring fully self-driving ride-hailing to Nashville in 2026. The collaboration ends Uber’s prior exclusive arrangement with Waymo and marks a significant expansion of Waymo’s autonomous fleet.

Under the deal, Lyft’s subsidiary Flexdrive will manage end-to-end fleet operations for Waymo in Nashville, including vehicle maintenance, depot management, and charging infrastructure. Riders will initially access Waymo’s autonomous vehicles through the Waymo app, with plans to integrate them into Lyft’s network for matched rides later in 2026.

“This partnership brings together best-in-class autonomous vehicles with best-in-class customer experience,” said Lyft CEO David Risher. “Waymo has proven that its autonomous technology works at scale. Combined with Lyft’s customer focus and world-class fleet management, it’s two great tastes that go great together.”

Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana added, “Lyft’s fleet management capabilities make them an ideal partner for expanding to Nashville. We can’t wait to introduce residents and visitors to the convenient, consistent, safe, and magical Waymo experience.”

The collaboration will feature a dynamic marketplace integration, allowing Waymo vehicles to serve both Waymo and Lyft riders. This hybrid model maximizes fleet utilization while ensuring a seamless autonomous ride experience. As part of the agreement, Lyft will also construct a purpose-built facility to support Waymo’s fleet, leveraging Flexdrive’s operational expertise to maximize uptime and reduce costs.

Waymo plans to scale the Nashville fleet to “hundreds of vehicles,” although a specific timeline was not provided. The partnership builds on a pilot program launched in Phoenix in 2019, where Waymo deployed about 10 robotaxis on the Lyft platform, marking the foundation for this multi-year strategic expansion.

The move underscores Lyft’s vision of a human-centered, hybrid future for ride-hailing, integrating autonomous vehicles alongside traditional drivers to enhance efficiency and service coverage.