Waymo Launches Autonomous Rides in Nashville

Waymo has announced the launch of a public passenger transportation service using fully autonomous vehicles in Nashville. By downloading the Waymo app, users can join this new mobility experience, with access granted through a gradual invitation-based rollout. This approach is designed to scale the service in a controlled manner while ensuring a high-quality user experience.

In the initial phase, Waymo activated a service area of approximately 60 square miles in Nashville. The coverage includes some of the city’s most well-known locations, from Broadway’s iconic music venues to the boutiques of 12 South, the vibrant atmosphere of Midtown, and the culinary hotspots of East Nashville. Waymo is also continuing test drives at Nashville International Airport and plans to extend its service to airport passengers in the near future.

Waymo Co‑CEO Tekedra Mawakana commented on the launch, stating:

“Nashville is buzzing with music, tourism, and nightlife, and now Waymo helps connect it all. As Nashville continues to grow, Waymo is proud to support that momentum by providing a safe, reliable, and magical way for locals and visitors to experience everything the city has to offer.”

Waymo also emphasized the strong support it has received from local authorities and community leaders across Tennessee and Nashville. Officials highlight the potential of Waymo’s fully autonomous service to expand access to safe and innovative mobility options.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee shared the following remarks:

“As families and businesses move to Tennessee in record numbers, our state continues to lead the nation in finding innovative solutions to transportation challenges. By leveraging private sector technologies like Waymo's fully autonomous vehicles, we're expanding mobility in ways we couldn't achieve on our own and further accelerating economic growth.”

Meanwhile, Grace Sutherland Smith, Executive Director of AgeWell Middle Tennessee, noted that Waymo presents a particularly valuable opportunity for older adults:

“Waymo is an opportunity for older adults to embrace new technology and new ways of getting around. It's so important as we grow older to stay connected to the community and transportation is a key to that. We also believe the advance booking feature can help lighten the load on family caregivers who may have to take time off work to drive loved ones to appointments. So we're excited about Waymo coming to Nashville and being an option for the older adults and caregivers we serve.”

Waymo aims to make Nashville streets safer. According to the company’s analysis based on more than 170 million miles of driving data, Waymo’s autonomous vehicles demonstrate a 13‑times lower rate of severe injury collisions compared to human drivers. A similar reduction has been observed in crashes involving pedestrian injuries.

Waymo also plans to offer riders more choices. In addition to the Waymo app, autonomous ride services will be available through the Lyft app later this year. Fleet operations in Nashville will be managed via Lyft’s Flexdrive service.

Source: Waymo