Waymo Expands to Tampa and Partners with Lyft in Nashville

Autonomous driving company Waymo expanded its U.S. operations this week, launching a driverless ride service in Tampa, Florida, and entering a strategic partnership with Lyft Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee.

In Tampa, Waymo now covers nearly 50 square miles, including Ybor City and Raymond James Stadium. This launch brings the company's total reach to 14 cities and increases local competition following Tesla's Robotaxi rollout in the region last month. Waymo officials are currently in talks with leaders in St. Petersburg to expand service across the bay.

Simultaneously, Waymo and Lyft Inc. launched a partnership in Nashville, marking the first city where Waymo vehicles are available through both the Lyft app and Waymo's own platform. Lyft customers may be matched with one of Waymo's 100+ vehicles for various ride tiers at no extra cost. To support this, a dedicated 80,000-square-foot depot for charging and cleaning will open in Nashville next month.

The expansion comes as Waymo reportedly intends to end its Uber Technologies Inc. contracts in Austin and Atlanta by 2028 to prioritize direct service. Waymo aims to reach 1 million weekly paid autonomous rides by the end of the year.