Lyft plans todeployRobotaxis Park in Dallas by 2026, controlled by Intel Independent Driving Technology.The companyintendsto scalethis operation up toa thousand vehiclesonother marketsshortly after the initial launch. To support this initiative,Lyft collaborates withtheJapanese conglomerate Marubeni forthe functioning of the fleet.
This announcement follows Uber's disclosure on the next partnerships with Waymo in Austin and Atlanta, as well as Tesla plans to launch the Robotaxi service in Austin this summer. Lyft employs a similar strategy to Uber by providing a platform for a variety of autonomous developers. The remaining "lightweight assets", Lyft avoids the costs of owning, exploitation and maintenance of the Robotaxi fleet.
This step emphasizes Lyft's effortsto stay competitive in the autonomous vehiclebreed where Uber has already providedpartnerships with Waymo,Aurora and Motional. Although Lyft initially studied the development of his own robotaxis, he finally sold his AV research unit in the Toyota subsidiary in 2021. Again, the focus on the company's partnership shows that its ambition is a key player in the landscape landscape.
