Waymo has achieved a major milestone by launching fully driverless operations in Nashville, marking another expansion in the company’s autonomous ride-hailing network. The service, offered in partnership with Lyft, will begin accepting public riders this year after months of testing with safety drivers.
Nashville Becomes Waymo’s Latest Driverless City
Waymo announced that its vehicles are now operating autonomously throughout Nashville, transitioning from the supervised testing phase that began in September 2025. The company has completed the necessary mapping and software updates specific to Nashville’s unique driving conditions, allowing it to move forward with its fully autonomous operations.
The rollout follows Waymo’s established deployment strategy, where the company thoroughly tests its technology in each new city before opening to public riders. Nashville residents and visitors will be able to hail Waymo vehicles through both the Waymo app and the Lyft app as the service scales, making autonomous rides accessible across multiple platforms.
Growing Autonomous Ride-Hailing Network
This expansion adds Nashville to Waymo’s growing list of operational cities. The company currently offers public rides in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Austin, while conducting testing or operations in additional locations including New York, Seattle, Denver, Dallas, and Houston. The partnership with Lyft’s fleet management subsidiary, Flexdrive, enables efficient vehicle operations and customer service in Nashville.
Recent Safety Improvements
The move comes as Waymo addresses recent safety concerns. The company previously issued a software recall after its robotaxis failed to stop for school buses, leading to citations in Austin. Waymo has had to address multiple incidents where vehicles struck gates, poles, and stationary objects, demonstrating the importance of continuous testing before public deployment.
According to Waymo’s safety data, the company’s autonomous vehicles have driven over 100 million fully autonomous miles on public roads, significantly outperforming human drivers in crash prevention across its operating regions.