Lyft and Waymo have joined forces in an attempt to bring self-driving cars to the road. The partnership positions the two companies as a major rival to Uber, which is also working feverishly on its own self-driving cars and is in a legal battle with Waymo at the moment.
There was no word on what the Lyft and Waymo partnership will look like. Waymo currently has a fleet of self-driving cars it is testing in Arizona. Lyft doesn't have its own autonomous cars but does have a fleet of drivers and a loyal customer base. Waymo has shown that it's not afraid to publicly beta test its self-driving software. That could mean that in states like Arizona we could soon be seeing self-driving Lyfts on the road next to self-driving Ubers.
Self-Driving Car Company Collaborations
Lyft and Waymo Have Joined Forces to Make Autonomous Cars
Trend Themes
1. Self-driving Car Partnerships - The collaboration between Lyft and Waymo highlights the growing trend of companies teaming up to bring autonomous cars to the market.
2. Competition in Autonomous Ride-hailing - The partnership between Lyft and Waymo positions them as a major rival to Uber in the race to develop self-driving technology for ride-hailing services.
3. Public Beta Testing of Self-driving Software - Waymo's willingness to publicly test its self-driving software sets a trend for other companies to conduct similar tests, potentially accelerating the adoption of autonomous vehicles.
Industry Implications
1. Automotive - The automotive industry is in the midst of a disruptive shift as companies like Lyft and Waymo collaborate to develop self-driving cars.
2. Ride-hailing - The ride-hailing industry is experiencing a wave of innovation with the introduction of autonomous vehicles by companies like Lyft, Waymo, and Uber.
3. Software Development - The software development industry has an opportunity to create innovative self-driving software solutions to support the growing demand for autonomous vehicles.