Lyft Aims to Launch Driverless Ride Options in Dallas in 2026

Lyft is partnering with Marubeni and Mobileye to offer a self-driving option to riders, starting in Dallas and expanding to other cities.

Lyft has autonomous cars in store for 2026.
Lyft has autonomous cars in store for 2026. | Cheng Xin/GettyImages

Lyft launched in 2012 and is now the second-largest ride-hailing service in the world. It offers different options depending on the region, from bikes for eco-conscious travelers to luxury cars for those with expensive tastes. Next year, Lyft may add another feature for riders: fully automated vehicles. 

New Atlas reports that the company aims to make self-driving rides available some time in 2026. Lyft is partnering with Marubeni Corporation, a general trading company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, to make this plan a reality. The San Francisco Standard writes that the conglomerate will “own and operate” the autonomous cars. The “robotaxis” will be powered by Mobileye, an Intel-owned company known for its self-driving technologies and advanced driver assistance systems. If all goes according to plan, Dallas will see the first fully autonomous Lyft vehicles, and more will be released in other cities over time. 

Lyft’s website states that autonomous rides will be an available request option via the app, with no other downloads or sign-ups required. As of writing, the company hasn’t disclosed the number of vehicles it plans to roll out in Dallas. However, Lyft CEO David Risher states that “thousands” of self-driving cars will arrive in multiple cities. There’s also no news on the pricing of this new category of car ride.

This collaboration with Mobileye isn’t the first time Lyft has partnered with an autonomous vehicle tech company. In 2022, the transportation service initiated driverless rides in Austin, Texas, with Argo AI and in Las Vegas with Motional , but both programs failed that year. While Lyft has ambitious plans for its latest partnership, many experts are doubtful of the timeline.

Lyft’s competitor, Uber, has had better luck dealing with partnerships with autonomous vehicle technology companies like Waymo, Cruise (although it’s since shut down), and Aurora. Riders in Phoenix have been able to book Waymo cars through the Uber app since 2023. These vehicles will also be available exclusively to Austin and Atlanta Uber users later this year.

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