Lyft Says Autonomous Vehicle Roll-Out To Commence As Soon As This Summer: Retail’s Excited

LYFT Inc (LYFT) shares drew investor attention on Thursday after the company said it will begin rolling out autonomous vehicles as soon as this summer.

Jeremy Bird, EVP of Driver Experience at Lyft, said autonomous vehicles (AVs) will account for a larger share of cars and a larger percentage of rides.

“We don’t have all the answers, but want to be transparent about our expectations, plans, and commitments. Put simply, over time AVs will certainly change the dynamics of the ride-share marketplace,” he said.

Notably, Lyft has recently signed agreements with partners like May Mobility, Mobileye, and Marubeni to start rolling out AVs.

Bird argued that contrary to the common misconception that ride-share is a zero-sum game, the company’s experience and data suggest otherwise.

“Adding cars to our platform — whether they’re driven by humans or AVs — improves arrival times and creates a better rider experience. That gets people to take more rides, creating more opportunities for drivers. It’s a virtuous circle, and it’s as close to an economic law as exists in the ride-share industry,” he explained.

The company believes that although the short-term would be a novelty phase, it won’t last forever, and riders will start turning to AVs more regularly.

However, over time, AVs will become more affordable and more capable of completing more rides under more conditions than they do today.

Bird explained that in phase two, doubling down on great service will remain the best way for drivers to find meaningful earning opportunities on the platform.

He explained that although technology encroaches on human jobs, it doesn’t eliminate the need for humans altogether – especially when workers can provide value that machines cannot.

"Humans are features, not bugs, and we’ll continue to find a way to reward those that provide great service as part of a thriving hybrid network,” Bird said.

Lyft is eventually looking to partner with car companies, AV companies, and data providers so that all AVs can roll off the lot “Lyft ready " and have turnkey access to its platform.

“In fact, helping drivers transition into the world of personal AV ownership is core to our strategy,” Bird said. “Much as Airbnb powered a generation of host-entrepreneurs, we hope to see Lyft’s AV platform sparking a new wave of driver-entrepreneurs.”

Bird acknowledged that the road to AV adoption will “undoubtedly be twisty, with many switchbacks and surprises.”

“We cannot pretend to have all the answers for how this will roll out. But we will build on our demonstrated commitment to providing economic mobility to drivers,” he said.

Meanwhile, on Stocktwits, retail sentiment climbed into the ‘neutral’ territory (45/100) from ‘bearish’ a day ago.

LYFT’s Sentiment Meter and Message Volume as of 1:19 p.m. ET on March 20, 2025 | Source: Stocktwits

LYFT shares are down over 13% in 2025 and have lost over 38% in the past 12 months.

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