Lyft, Waymo Join Forces to Bring Autonomous Vehicles to Mainstream

Lyft and Waymo have decided to join forces.

The two Silicon Valley firms confirmed an agreement first reported by the New York Times that the two companies will collaborate to bring autonomous vehicle technology into the mainstream.

“Waymo holds today’s best self-driving technology, and collaborating with them will accelerate our shared vision of improving lives with the world’s best transportation,” a Lyft spokesperson told NYT.

“Lyft’s vision and commitment to improving the way cities move will help Waymo’s self-driving technology reach more people, in more places,” added a Waymo spokesperson.

Uber will be watching this collaboration closely. Lyft is Uber’s chief rival in North America, though it is much smaller. And Waymo, a Google subsidiary, is currently engulfed in a legal battle with Uber.

Details on the agreement between Lyft and Waymo remain scant, but the deal suggests at the very least that Waymo now believes its self-driving technology is ready for commercial applications.