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Lyft and May Mobility Launch Robotaxi Service in Atlanta

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Ride-hailing company Lyft and autonomous vehicle startup May Mobility have launched a pilot robotaxi service in Atlanta, marking the partnership’s first public deployment.

Starting Wednesday, customers using the standard Lyft app can hail Toyota Sienna minivans retrofitted by May Mobility to operate on routes in and around Midtown Atlanta. The fares will be comparable to regular Lyft rides.

The service begins with a small fleet, each vehicle staffed with trained in-vehicle operators who can answer passenger questions and take control if needed. This rollout highlights Lyft’s strategy to integrate self-driving options into its platform through partners such as Baidu in Europe and Mobileye, as competition intensifies in the robotaxi space.

Jeremy Bird, Lyft’s executive vice president of driver experience, said the fleet will expand gradually: “We’ll start in the single digits of cars, move up to dozens, and over time to hundreds and thousands.” Neither Bird nor May Mobility CEO Edwin Olson gave a specific timeline. Olson noted the vehicles use a redundant drive-by-wire system and a 360-degree sensor suite combining lidar, radar, and cameras.

The pilot will be integrated into Lyft’s hybrid marketplace, allowing passengers to choose between autonomous and conventional rides. Management of the fleet will be handled by May Mobility, rather than Lyft’s Flexdrive operations unit.

Last month, Lyft held an AV Driver Forum in Atlanta to brief drivers on the program, while both companies engaged with local and state officials to ensure smooth deployment.

Competition in the U.S. robotaxi sector is heating up. Waymo, owned by Alphabet, has expanded its paid autonomous services in major cities, Uber has partnered with tech firms for global self-driving deployments, and Tesla launched its first robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, as well as a ride-hailing program in the Bay Area earlier this year.

Lyft Shares Drop as Price Cuts Persist Amid Ongoing Competition with Uber

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Lyft (LYFT.O) shares fell 9% on Wednesday after the company announced that pricing trends from late 2024 are likely to continue in 2025, driven by its efforts to stay competitive with rival Uber. Lyft has been cutting fares and offering more discounts to attract riders and drivers.

During its fourth-quarter report on Tuesday, Lyft revealed that fares fell late last year and have remained low in early 2025. In contrast, Uber stated last week that it expects slight price increases for its UberX service this year as it passes rising insurance costs on to consumers.

Lyft has been using coupons and fare reductions to retain market share. However, Bernstein analysts highlighted that U.S. rideshare companies are reallocating incentives, reducing driver incentives to fund customer promotions—a strategy that could work if properly balanced.

Lyft emphasized that it has flexibility in adjusting incentives to ensure marketplace balance, with a strong driver base currently on its platform. However, analysts at Needham cautioned that extended price cuts could test the industry’s price elasticity and overall demand.

Following Lyft’s fourth-quarter results, at least 13 brokerages lowered their price targets for the company, with a median target of $18, according to LSEG data. The company also projected gross bookings below Wall Street estimates, mirroring Uber’s recent guidance.

Lyft’s forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio stands at 13.4, compared to Uber’s 29.4. While Lyft’s shares fell 13.9% in 2024, they have risen 11.6% so far this year. However, if the current share decline holds, Lyft’s market capitalization is expected to drop by over $500 million to around $5.4 billion. Uber’s shares were also down about 3% on Wednesday.

Lyft to Launch Mobileye-Powered Robotaxis in Dallas by 2026

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Lyft (LYFT.O) has announced plans to roll out fully autonomous robotaxis in Dallas, powered by Mobileye’s technology (MBLY.O), “as soon as 2026,” according to CEO David Risher. The announcement led to a 4.6% rise in Lyft’s shares, while Mobileye’s stock surged by 17%.

As automakers and tech companies heavily invest in driverless technology, the move is seen as a significant step toward the future of mobility. Lyft’s larger competitor, Uber (UBER.N), has already partnered with Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving unit, which plans to launch a self-driving taxi service in Austin, Texas, exclusively on Uber’s platform next month.

Marubeni, a Japanese conglomerate experienced in managing fleets, will finance and own the Mobileye-equipped vehicles, which will be available for rides through Lyft’s app. This partnership follows Mobileye’s announcement in November that it would collaborate with Lyft to bring autonomous vehicles to the ride-hailing network.

Waymo has already expanded its autonomous ride-hailing service to several cities, including Miami, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Austin, with further plans for expansion in 2025. Meanwhile, Tesla (TSLA.O) is set to begin testing its driverless technology in Austin this June, though it has not yet outlined details for a paid service. Lyft’s robotaxi plans were first reported by TechCrunch.