The partnership could leave Uber in the dust Waymo, Google?s self-driving car company, and Lyft, the second-largest ride-hailing company in the country, have announced a partnership that could help bring autonomous technology to U.S. streets fast.
Although neither company has made an official announcement, representatives from both independently verified the partnership in statements. According to the New York Times, the two companies will ?work together to bring autonomous vehicle technology into the mainstream through pilot projects and product development efforts.?
It's easy to see how the two companies will complement each other. Waymo is looking for real riders to use its services: It?s currently searching for families and people with disabilities to help test its autonomous minivans in the Phoenix area. Lyft needs tech: Even though the company has made statements saying its entire fleet will be automated in five years, it needs a technology partner to make this a reality. ?We?re looking forward to working with Lyft to explore new self-driving products that will make our roads safer and transportation more accessible,? Waymo said in a statement to Recode. ?Lyft?s vision and commitment to improving the way cities move will help Waymo?s self-driving technology reach more people, in more places.?

Lyft
Lyft has relationships with 300 U.S. cities.

The implications of Waymo and Lyft working together are huge. Consider just the sheer amounts o...