Lyft Partners with Marubeni to Bring Robotaxis to Dallas Roads

Lyft is scrambling to compete with Uber as it partners with Japanese conglomerate Marubeni to bring robotaxis to Dallas roads as soon as next year. The partnership is the first fruit from Lyft’s Mobileye partnership, announced in November. TechCrunch notes that the Intel-owned Mobileye’s tech is already available in models from Audi, Ford, GM, Nissan, and Volkswagen. Lyft executive vice president of driver experience Jeremy Bird told TechCrunch that it’s in talks with "every major autonomous carmaker."

Marubeni’s Fleet and Availability

Marubeni, which owns subsidiaries in industries ranging from cereal to fossil fuels, owns and manages fleets with over 900,000 vehicles across the globe. The company’s Mobileye-equipped robotaxis will be available for folks in Dallas to hail through the Lyft app after the program launches.

Pilot Program and Future Rollouts

Although the Dallas launch will serve as Lyft’s pilot program for Mobileye AVs, it may not end up being the company’s next robotaxi rollout. Last year, it also partnered with AV company May Mobility and aims to bring robotaxis with its tech to Atlanta sometime in 2025.

Pressure to Keep Up with Uber

The pressure is on Lyft to keep up, as Uber has inked deals with a long list of companies in the AV space, including Avride, Aurora Innovation, Nuro, Waabi, and Waymo. Uber and Alphabet’s Waymo also plan to launch AV fleets in Austin and Atlanta early this year. The waitlist for Waymo’s driverless rides in Austin is already open. Tesla has also said it plans to introduce its first autonomous vehicle service in Austin this June.

Key Partnerships and Rollouts

• Lyft partners with Marubeni to bring robotaxis to Dallas roads
• Lyft’s Mobileye partnership announced in November
• Lyft’s pilot program for Mobileye AVs in Dallas
• Lyft’s partnership with May Mobility to bring robotaxis to Atlanta in 2025
• Uber’s partnerships with Avride, Aurora Innovation, Nuro, Waabi, and Waymo
• Uber’s plan to launch AV fleets in Austin and Atlanta early this year
• Tesla’s plan to introduce its first autonomous vehicle service in Austin this June