Lyft teams up with nuTonomy to bring first self-driving Lyft service to Boston

After GM and Waymo, Lyft has a new partner in the world of autonomous technology in the form of nuTonomy, the Boston-based company that was first to put self-driving taxis on roads in Singapore.

As per the new partnership, the two companies aim to launch a limited pilot in Boston within the coming few months, in which Lyft users will be able to hail one of nuTonomy’s driverless vehicles by using Lyft’s app.

“By combining forces with Lyft in the U.S., we’ll be positioned to build the best passenger experience for self-driving cars. Both companies care immensely about solving urban transportation issues and the future of our cities, and we look forward to working with Lyft as we continue to improve our autonomous vehicle software system," said Karl lagnemma, CEO and Co-founder of nuTonomy.

Last month, Lyft announced its plan to work with Alphabet’s Waymo on autonomous technology. And previously, GM invested $500 million in the ride-hailing company with the goal of eventually deploying its driverless Chevy Bolts on the ride-hail network. But according to Logan Green, Lyft’s co-founder, each of these partnerships is different from other and there won't be any conflict as such.

"At Lyft, we imagine the world where car ownership is optional and cities are designed for people instead of cars. Partnering with nuTonomy is an important step towards making this vision a reality. The nuTonomy team is one of the first movers in autonomous vehicle development, and we look forward to working with them to bring their autonomous vehicles to the Lyft network,” Green added.

Apparently, there isn't any monetary transaction involved in the partnership and the deal is all about mutual benefit.“There is no financial arrangement between the two companies,” Logan confirmed. “It’s a collaborative, R&D-based partnership.”