Waymo is testing driverless robotaxis in Nashville

Source: TechCrunch

In Brief

Posted: 2:59 PM PST · February 9, 2026

Image Credits: Brandon Bell / Getty Images

Waymo has pulled the human safety driver from its autonomous test vehicles in Nashville, as the Alphabet‑owned company moves closer to launching a robotaxi service in the city.

Testing Milestone in Nashville

• Waymo has been testing in Nashville for months.
• The fleet is now operating without a human safety driver, marking a key step toward a full robotaxi rollout.

Partnership with Lyft

• Waymo plans to launch a robotaxi service in Nashville this year in partnership with Lyft.
• Riders will initially hail rides directly through the Waymo app.
• As the service expands, Waymo will also make its self‑driving vehicles available through the Lyft app.
• Lyft’s wholly‑owned subsidiary Flexdrive will handle fleet services, including vehicle readiness, maintenance, charging infrastructure, and depot operations.

Current Operations

Waymo’s commercial robotaxi services are already active in:

• Atlanta
• Austin
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• San Francisco Bay Area
• Phoenix

Driverless test fleets are also operating in:

• Dallas
• Houston
• San Antonio
• Orlando

Rollout Strategy

Waymo follows a consistent rollout approach in new markets:

1. Deploy a small fleet of manually driven vehicles to map the city.
2. Test autonomous vehicles with a human safety operator in the driver’s seat.
3. Conduct driverless testing, often allowing employees to hail rides.
4. Launch the full robotaxi service.