Lyft plans to start adding autonomous vehicles (AVs) to its ridesharing platform as soon as this summer. “We recently signed agreements with partners like May Mobility, Mobileye and Marubeni to start rolling out AVs on our platform as soon as this summer,” Jeremy Bird, executive vice president of driver experience at Lyft, wrote in a Thursday (March 20) blog post. “And over time, AVs will account for a larger share of cars, and a larger percentage of rides.”. Bird wrote this in a blog post addressing how the debut of AVs may affect the drivers who offer rides through the platform. He wrote that while Lyft doesn’t have all the answers, the company expects that there will still be opportunities for drivers because the addition of AVs won’t necessarily mean there will be fewer rides to be served by drivers

Carmaker Stellantis wants you to be able to watch movies when behind the wheel.To that end, the company on Thursday (Feb. 20) announced the launch of STLA Autodrive, its home-built automated driving system that lets motorists reduce their workload in stop-and-go traffic, allowing for automated driving at speeds of up to 37 mph.This allows drivers to “temporarily engage in non-driving tasks” like watching a movie, catching up on emails, reading or just looking out the window, the company said.“Helping drivers make the best use of their time is a priority,” Stellantis Chief Engineering and Technology Officer Ned Curic said in a news release.“By handling routine driving tasks, STLA AutoDrive will enhance the driving experience, making time behind the wheel more efficient and enjoyable.”According to the release, drivers will be notified that STLA Autodrive is available “when traffic and environmental conditions align.” Once activated, the system takes over, keeping at safe distances, adjusting speed, and managing steering and braking based on traffic flow.The company says it is working on advancements that could allow the system to operate at speeds approaching 60 mph, with “enhanced off-road automation” for select models.In other autonomous vehicle (AV) news, Lyft last week detailed its plans to launch self-driving robotaxis in Dallas next year, with additional markets to follow.The vehicles will be owned and financed by Marubeni, a Japanese fleet management company, and outfitted with Mobileye’s self-driving technology. Lyft says it plans to scale the service to thousands of vehicles throughout multiple cities.“AVs will be a transformational addition to the marketplace,” said Lyft CEO David Risher. “We’ll start in Dallas and we do expect to move into other markets.”The move comes as Lyft seeks to tap into the burgeoning autonomous vehicle market, amid competition from Uber and Tesla, both of which have similar initiatives in the works.Uber said recently it sees the AV market reaching $1 trillion territory, while Tesla’s Cybercab is set to begin volume production in 2026, the company said in its latest earnings report.“There is a path where Tesla is worth more than the next top 5 companies combined. There’s a path to that. It is difficult, but achievable,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk told investors last month

One of the key factors behind Lyft’s success in 2024 was its focus on enhancing driver satisfaction and improving service reliability.According to CEO David Risher, the company’s “customer obsession” drove this profitable growth. During the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call Tuesday (Feb. 11), Risher noted drivers collectively earned $9 billion in 2024, the highest in the company’s history, and saw its largest-ever number of driver hours in Q4. This focus on driver incentives has paid off, he added.“We are executing spectacularly and customer obsession has driven profitable growth,” Risher said. “We had a record number of active riders and our average ETAs are the fastest in the industry.“But we’ve got more to do. Our biggest competition is inertia