Six months after launching its commercial self-driving ride-hailing service in the Metro Phoenix area, Waymo has announced that it will deploy 10 of its vehicles on the Lyft ride-hailing platform over the next few months.
Once Waymo vehicles are on the platform, Lyft users in the area will have the option to select a Waymo directly from the Lyft app for eligible rides.
“This first step in our partnership will allow us to introduce the Waymo Driver to Lyft users, enabling them to take what for many will be their first ride in a self-driving vehicle. We’re committed to continuously improving our customer experience, and our partnership with Lyft will also give our teams the opportunity to collect valuable feedback,” said Waymo CEO John Krafcik.
The news follows Waymo’s announcement last month that it has found a location in Detroit, Michigan, for its new factory, the world’s first dedicated to Level 4 AVs. The company will work with American Axle & Manufacturing to repurpose an existing facility, which it hopes to have up and running by mid-2019.