Lyft News

The key to AV deployment: the Rideshare Network

Feb 22, 2021

The first generation of self-driving cars will be deployed on rideshare networks side-by-side with human drivers. 

We believe the first generation of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) will be deployed on rideshare networks. Given the expected cost of AVs, a key issue will be getting first wave vehicles to breakeven, which will depend on utilization. Through the investments we've made in our network, we are uniquely positioned to drive efficient AV operations and be the partner of choice for AV companies for three reasons:

  1. Our hybrid AV network that includes human drivers, ensures riders will always have a ride, whether or not it's fulfilled by an AV. 

  2. Our efficiency engine powered by our marketplace technology enables us to maximize AV utilization because we can dynamically dispatch AVs based upon trip type and route conditions. 

  3. Our highly efficient fleet management capabilities will help AV partners achieve the lowest cost per mile by driving additional operating efficiencies.

It will take time for AV technology to advance to the point where they can accommodate every ride under every condition. Deploying AVs on a rideshare network will help maximize AV utilization because we can dynamically dispatch AVs based on trip type and route conditions.  Because of the nature of Lyft’s multimodal platform and because we aggregate demand, we're able to match riders with a ride, no matter the ride type.

We've spent nine years building a business that is uniquely capable of supporting and scaling AVs. Our Level 5 data-driven autonomy program taps into our greatest asset, our rideshare network to help tackle some of the hardest problems in self-driving. And our Open Platform partners will be able to leverage our rideshare technology stack, including our shared rides platform as well as dispatching, routing and pricing algorithms we’ve refined using billions of miles of data. 

We are already leading the way in our industry. We facilitated more than 100,000 paid AV rides on our platform since 2018 with Motional. In Q4, we announced our plans to deploy fully autonomous Motional vehicles on our network in multiple cities beginning in 2023 - the first agreement of its kind in our industry. As part of our Open Platform strategy, we are also exploring strategic options for our Level 5 self-driving system development program.

We are excited about the transformative impact AVs will ultimately have on our industry and on transportation broadly. We’ll be announcing additional self-driving vehicle partners for deployment in the near future, as we pave the way for cities to be built around people and not cars. 

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this announcement are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the securities laws, including statements about Lyft’s AV technology initiatives and partnerships and strategic options for its Level 5 self-driving system development program. Such statements, which are not of historical fact, involve estimates, assumptions, judgments and uncertainties. There are a number of factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those addressed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors are detailed in Lyft’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not undertake an obligation to update our forward-looking statements to reflect future events, except as required by applicable law.