Lyft plans significant growth in the Waymo robotaxi fleet it supports in Nashville by the end of 2026. Riders could already be matched with fully autonomous Waymo vehicles through Lyft’s app, starting September 9, 2026. The app rollout and the planned fleet increase are separate steps. Lyft CEO David Risher described the expansion plan on the company’s Q3 2026 earnings call, according to a Benzinga report carried by Yahoo Finance.
Lyft said the September app launch made Nashville its first market where Waymo vehicles could be matched through both companies’ apps. The company’s announcement said riders could begin using the Lyft app that day.
Nashville already has a Lyft-app booking route for Waymo rides; the year-end plan is about expanding the fleet and its support operation.
How Lyft supports Nashville’s Waymo fleet
Lyft has two reported roles in the operation: it can match riders with Waymo vehicles in its app, and its Flexdrive unit manages fleet services. Reuters reported that Lyft earns revenue from rides booked through its app and receives a fee for each vehicle available for maintenance, charging and cleaning.
| Nashville operation | Lyft’s reported role | What the role covers |
| Ride matching | Matches riders with Waymo vehicles through the Lyft app | App-booked rides |
| Fleet services | Flexdrive manages the vehicles and related operations | Maintenance, charging and cleaning |
Lyft’s Nashville facility covers 80,000 square feet. David Risher described it as operating during the Q3 earnings call, and Reuters reported that it opened in October. WSMV 4 Nashville reported that the facility was designed to clean, charge and service hundreds of cars a day. That is a measure of the facility’s daily handling capacity, not the planned fleet increase.
WSMV also reported that dozens of former Lyft drivers now focus on autonomous vehicles, and its segment features Sean Thompson, a former Lyft driver who works on vehicle maintenance.
What Lyft said about Nashville airport trips
Lyft described Waymo airport trips in Nashville as coming soon, Reuters reported. Waymo separately began airport rides at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on October 21; our earlier coverage of that launch covers the Las Vegas service.
