Lyft and Tensor Robocars to make consumer-owned AVs available on Lyft platform

[Car for hire with a Lyft sticker. Lyft and Uber have replaced many Taxi cabs for transportation with a smart phone app I]
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To keep up with competitors that are gaining ground in the robotaxi space, Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/LYFT]) is partnering with Tensor Auto to deploy consumer-owned robotaxis in Europe and North America beginning in 2027 on the Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/LYFT]) platform.

Tensor Robocars will be available for private ownership, enabling owners to generate income through the Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/LYFT]) platform, in addition to providing an additional source of revenue for the ride-share company.

By introducing Tensor autonomous vehicles to its network and reserving hundreds for its own fleet, Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/LYFT]) is working to close the gap with rival Uber (UBER [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/UBER]), which has accelerated its autonomous ambitions through partnerships with Waymo (GOOG [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/GOOG]), Momenta, WeRide (WRD [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/WRD]), and Baidu (BIDU [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BIDU]).

As the first company to develop a “Level 4 AV” designed for personal ownership, the Tensor Robocar provides an avenue to monetize robotaxis for individuals, representing an “important milestone in AV adoption.”

“Lyft has created opportunities for millions of people to earn on the platform, but right now, one of the last barriers to rideshare is time — you have to physically be in your vehicle to give rides and earn," said Jeremy Bird, Executive Vice President of Driver Experience at Lyft.

"Future owners will be able to start earning on the Lyft network the moment their vehicle rolls off the lot, while riders get access to some of the most advanced and luxurious AVs on the road. This is exactly the kind of innovation that expands what's possible in transportation."

Tensor Robocars feature L4 technology, powered by eight Nvidia (NVDA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/NVDA]) DRIVE AGX Thor SoCs, with over 100 sensors within an agentic AI architecture that can process over 53 gigabits of sensor data per second.

Over the next few years, Tensor Robocars will be deployed across the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East to immediately onboard on Lyft’s (LYFT [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/LYFT]) platform and give owners instant access to the vehicle in markets where “Lyft-ready” L4 technology is available.

Lyft (LYFT [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/LYFT]) shares were initially nudged higher on the news before surrendering gains and retreating back into negative turf for a fifth straight day.

Source: Press Release [https://www.lyft.com/blog/posts/lyft-tensor-av-partnership]

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