NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Motorists will soon share the streets with driverless vehicles as Waymo teams with Lyft to bring the fully autonomous ride-hailing service to Nashville.

On Wednesday, Waymo shared that autonomous operations will be available for Nashville riders in 2026 by partnering with Lyft though its Flexdrive subsidiary.

"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,” said Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana. “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.”

In addition, Lyft CEO David Risher said the partnership will bring together "best-in-class autonomous vehicles with best-in-class customer experience."

Here's more about how the partnership would work:

How will you request a ride?

In order to get a ride in one of the driverless vehicles, passengers will reportedly request a vehicle on the Waymo app. Then, as the service expands, the autonomous vehicles will be available for matched rides on the Lyft app.

Waymo stated they will be responsible for dispatching vehicles across both the Waymo and Lyft networks.

How does the technology work?

According to a previous News 2 report, Waymo vehicles use a combination of software and sensors — like cameras, radar and LiDar— to help them understand their surroundings.

In March, Waymo began testing its autonomous driving technology in Nashville to learn the driving culture, weather and road conditions.

How will the partnership work?

Waymo will reportedly maintain responsibility for operating the vehicle. Meanwhile, Lyft will provide end-to-end fleet management services, including vehicle maintenance, infrastructure and depot operations in Nashville.

Currently, the autonomous driving company provides hundreds of thousands of rides every week across Miami, Washington D.C., Dallas, Denver, and now, Nashville on the way.

To learn more about the Waymo service, follow this link.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville/driverless-vehicles-are-coming-to-nashville-through-lyft-partnership/