Waymo is testing driverless robotaxis in Nashville

Waymo has pulled public safety drivers from its self-driving test cars in Nashville, as the Alphabet-owned company moves closer to launching a robotaxi service in the city.

Waymo, which has been testing in Nashville for several months, is expected to launch a robotaxi service there this year. partnership with Lyft. Riders start a ride directly through the Waymo app. As the project expands, Waymo will also make its self-driving cars available through the Lyft app. Lyft has said it will operate ride-hailing services, such as car scheduling and maintenance, tolling, and depot services, through its Flexdrive subsidiary.

Waymo has continued to expand its robotaxi service and today has commercial operations in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Phoenix. It also has driverless test fleets in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando.

The company tends to follow a similar approach in each new market, starting with small self-driving cars to map the city. Autonomous vehicles are tested with a public safety operator in the driver’s seat. Finally, the company conducts non-driving tests, often allowing employees to ride in the snow, before starting the robotaxi operation.