Lyft riders in parts of Nashville can now be matched with fully autonomous Waymo vehicles through the Lyft app, following an announcement by the two companies on 9 September 2026.
The companies said Nashville is the first market where Waymo vehicles are available to riders through both the Waymo and Lyft apps. Vehicles are dispatched dynamically from one fleet serving the two networks, rather than from separate fleets allocated to each app.
On Lyft, an autonomous match may be offered for Standard, Priority Pickup, Wait & Save and Extra Comfort journeys, subject to vehicle availability. To qualify, a journey must both start and finish within the specified Waymo operating area.
The Lyft-linked area covers Downtown and Broadway, North Nashville and Germantown, East Nashville, Midtown and South Nashville. Lyft said riders who are matched with a Waymo vehicle will not be charged an additional amount because of the autonomous match.
Passengers can decline an autonomous vehicle when it is offered, or opt out of autonomous vehicles entirely. Lyft said conventional human-driven vehicles will continue to operate within and around the service area.
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Riders using the autonomous service have access to live human support through the Lyft app or the Waymo in-car screen. They can also request a safe pull-over using either interface, according to Lyft’s rider information.
Waymo had previously started inviting public riders to its Nashville service through its own app on 7 April 2026. That initial launch covered a 60-square-mile area. At the time, Waymo said it had been testing at Nashville International Airport, but that airport passenger service was planned for a future stage rather than being available then.
The Lyft-app launch delivers the later-2026 matching stage outlined when Waymo and Lyft announced their Nashville partnership in September 2025. It integrates autonomous vehicles alongside driver-operated trips in Lyft’s ride-hailing marketplace, rather than replacing conventional supply.
Lyft subsidiary Flexdrive manages the Nashville Waymo fleet. Its responsibilities extend to fleet readiness, depot operations and dispatch integration. Flexdrive is also due to open an 80,000-square-foot autonomous-vehicle depot in Nashville in October 2026.
Lyft said the facility is creating more than 70 full-time roles during 2026, including technician, fleet-operations and service-coordinator positions. The depot and fleet-management arrangements form part of the operating infrastructure supporting the autonomous vehicles available through the two apps in the city.
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