In a significant move, ride-hailing giant Lyft is gearing up to launch fully autonomous robotaxis, powered by Mobileye, in Dallas as early as 2026 1. This announcement comes on the heels of Lyft's fourth-quarter financial results and coincides with Waymo's preparations to launch a commercial robotaxi service with Uber in Austin and Atlanta.
Lyft's autonomous robotaxis will be owned and financed by Marubeni, a Japanese conglomerate with extensive experience in managing fleets 2. While Lyft hasn't disclosed the carmaker partner for the launch, Mobileye's advanced driver-assistance technology is already integrated into vehicles from top manufacturers like Audi, Volkswagen, and Ford.
Here are the key highlights of Lyft's autonomous robotaxi launch:
- Launch Timeline: As early as 2026 in Dallas, with more markets to follow
- Partnership: Marubeni will own and finance the Mobileye-equipped vehicles
- Scaling Plans: Thousands of vehicles across multiple cities after the Texas debut
- Competition: Waymo and Uber are launching a commercial robotaxi service in Austin and Atlanta, while Tesla plans to start an autonomous ride-hail operation in Austin in June
With this move, Lyft is poised to revolutionize the ride-hailing landscape. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting development!
