Lyft eyes 2026 robotaxi launch

Lyft eyes 2026 robotaxi launch

Lyft says it will launch a fleet of robotaxi in Dallas "by 2026" using self-driving technology from Intel's Mobileye, and plans to launch "thousands" of vehicles in additional markets in the coming months. To signal its seriousness, the company chose a Japanese conglomerate, Marubeni, to run fleet operations.

Lyft's news comes after Uber shared new details about plans to introduce Waymo's robotaxi on its platform in Austin and Atlanta later this year. And Tesla recently shared plans to launch robotaxi service in Austin this summer.

Lyft is taking a similar approach to Uber, offering its ridehail platform to individual self-driving developers who want to connect with customers without building out their own operations. Like Uber, Lyft is also interested in staying as "asset light" as possible, requiring other companies to own, operate, and maintain robotaxi fleets for its customers.

Toward this end, Lyft says Marubeni is a global leader in fleet management, with more than 900,000 vehicles worldwide through various subsidiaries and joint ventures. Lyft says the company will use its Flexdrive fleet-management capabilities to "reduce the total cost of vehicle ownership and maximize fleet utilization." Marubeni appears to have no specific experience with ridehail or autonomous vehicle operations, but as TechCrunch noted, it has worked with Mobileye on on-demand mobility in Japan. "They are aiming to be a leader in the emerging AV space, and we look forward to working together," Lyft CEO David Risher said in a post on X. Marubeni will have vehicles powered by Mobileye technology. The Intel-owned company is a supplier of advanced driver assistance technology to several top automakers including Ford, Volkswagen and Toyota. Lyft is struggling to keep up with its main rival Uber in the race to gain a foothold in the world of autonomous vehicles. Uber has already struck deals with Waymo, Cruise (now defunct), Aurora, Motional and Everide. Meanwhile, Lyft has already partnered with Waymo (which is now defunct) and Motional. The ridehail company had thought about developing its own robotaxi but eventually sold its AV research and development division to a Toyota subsidiary in 2021.