Lyft also works with robotaxi companies

Lyft is working with a trio of autonomous driving startups to compete with Uber, which has also inked a number of deals to offer robotaxis on its platform.

Today, the ridehail company announced that it is working with three different autonomous driving companies: Mobileye, May Mobility and Nexar. Mobileye and May Mobility plan to deploy autonomous vehicles on Lyft's network, while Nexar, which makes smart dashcams, will work with Lyft to “leverage their video telematics to develop data-driven solutions that accelerate the deployment of AV technologies.”

Nexar said it has “over 45 petabytes of real-world footage spanning 200 million monthly miles driven, with over 5 trillion images and over 59 million videos,” which it said provides “a comprehensive and robust data set for the development of AV technology”.

Lyft says it is a pioneer in the so-called “Lyft-ready” complete solution for AV operators, in which the company acts as a one-stop shop for a variety of autonomous services, depending on the location.

“Lyft’s goal is to bring AVs, drivers, riders and partners together to create new opportunities for everyone,” Lyft CEO David Risher said in a statement. “Our ride-sharing network will continue to evolve as millions of people will have the opportunity to earn billions of dollars, whether they choose to drive, operate their AV vehicles, or both.”

The announcement was a bit flimsy in terms of details. Mobileye, owned by Intel, will deploy vehicles equipped with its autonomous technology on Lyft's platform. Meanwhile, May Mobility will deploy its autonomous Toyota Sienna minivans directly on the Lyft platform in Atlanta starting in 2025.