LYFT has announced it will be launching self-driving shuttles in 2026 as it departs from its “human-only” branding.
It comes as Uber, the largest ride-sharing company in the world, is steadily growing its presence in the AV space through its partnership with Waymo.
Lyft is upping the robotaxi game with plans to release a number of the vehicles next year[/caption]
The pair first teamed up in May 2023 and has since brought driverless rides to consumers in Phoenix, Arizona, and more recently Austin and Texas.
Now, in a bid to take on rivals Uber and Waymo, Lyft is planning to release a whole network of the autonomous vehicles through its latest partnership with AV brands Holon and Benteler.
Together they bring a catalogue of expertise – the latter being a partner to dozens of motor brands across the world, according to Motor Trend.
Plans suggest a fleet of the driverless vehicles will be deployed in 2026, though tariffs and local compliance issues could delay this.
The move comes amid ongoing public outcry against driverless taxis.
Earlier this year, one commuter said Waymo’s autonomous vehicles left him going in endless circles and warned Uber and Lyft riders to be wary of the new tech.
Waymo has been investigated for causing crashes and was even temporarily suspended in San Francisco, California, last year.
Despite this, the company has enjoyed a windfall of momentum, earning a massive $5.6 billion in funding as of October 2024, Automotive Dive reported.
One Waymo customer spoke out about his horrific experience with the tech that was caught on camera.
Mike Johns ordered a driverless to the Phoenix, Arizona, airport and was shocked when it aimlessly roved around in circles thanks to a glitch.
Video showed the “uncomfortable” ride that left Johns strapped in the backseat with no way of escaping the winding ride, NewsNation reported.
The already stressful situation got even worse when customer service was no help.
“Somebody obviously at the control tower realized there was a malfunction, and then they’re trying to fix it, but the kicker is they’re trying to use my phone to fix the problem,” he said.
Waymo told NewsNation that glitch has since been fixed with a software update, but the company is still facing a barrage of other issues.
How do autonomous cars work?
AUTONOMOUS cars use sensors, algorithms, machine learning systems, and powerful processors.
They can create and maintain a map of the area around them based on several sensors situated in different parts of the car.
Radar sensors are used to keep track of the positions of other cars.
Video cameras can detect traffic lights, read road signs, track other cars, and look out for pedestrians.
A sophisticated software processes all of this information and plots a path for the car to take, sending instructions to the car’s actuators, which control acceleration, braking, and steering.
Hard-coded rules and object recognition help the software follow traffic rules and avoid obstacles.
Source: Synopsys
People who live near Waymo parking lots have reported seeing lines of stalled traffic caused by driverless cars.
They’re awoken every morning by a symphony of horn honking.
Protesters have also targeted the taxis by placing traffic cones on top of the hood.
