AUSTIN, Texas — If you use rideshares, getting around Austin is about to be a little bit different.
Lyft is now offering the option of a self-driving car for the same price as a normal ride. Austin joins Miami and Las Vegas as the third city where Lyft riders can hail an autonomous ride.
Here's how it will work:
- Use the mobile Lyft app as they normally would to hail a ride
- If a Ford AV is available, riders can select the option directly from the Lyft app, without the need to join a waitlist
- When the vehicle arrives, the rider can unlock the doors via the app, start and enjoy their ride
- Riders can even contact customer support from within the Lyft app
Lyft isn't the only rideshare company putting autonomous vehicles on the streets.
Cruise LLC – a self-driving rideshare company backed by Honda and General Motors – said earlier in September that it plans to launch services soon in both Austin and Phoenix.
Last year, Ford, Lyft and Argo AI announced a partnership to bring a fleet of self-driving vehicles to Austin. The group now has about 20 self-driving cars on Austin streets but, right now, it still has a testing specialist in each car's driver's seat.
Back in 2015, Wyamo became the first company to test computer-driven vehicles in Austin, according to the Austin Business Journal.
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