Waymo targets teen riders in Nashville as part of growth push
Waymo is extending its autonomous ride-hailing service to teenagers aged 13 to 17 in Nashville, marking the second city to offer such accounts after Phoenix. The teen accounts must be linked to a parent or guardian, and allow up to three teen guests per ride. Waymo says this is the first of many teen launches planned across markets where operations are mature and regulations permit.
Waymo's teen account program launched in Phoenix last year, and Nashville now becomes the second market to offer it. The Nashville service operates within a 50-square-mile zone that opened in April 2026, with Lyft app integration added earlier this month. Waymo's overall ridership has climbed sharply, growing from 50,000 paid weekly trips in May 2024 to more than 500,000 weekly trips this year, driven by launches in a dozen cities including Denver, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Tampa within the past month alone.
The company plans additional teen launches in coming months across markets where operations are mature and local rules permit. Teen accounts require a parent or guardian link, and riders can bring up to three guests aged 13 to 17, though Waymo has not detailed how ages are verified. The program targets a demographic that typically depends on parents or public transit for school, work, and activities.
This expansion could reshape how families approach teen mobility, offering an alternative to parent chauffeuring or teen drivers. Parents may view robotaxis as safer than vehicles driven by inexperienced teenagers, though unsupervised groups of adolescents in autonomous cars could present new social and safety considerations. The program may also accelerate acceptance of autonomous transportation among younger generations, potentially normalizing robotaxis as a standard mobility option. Communities with mature Waymo operations could see shifts in transit patterns, while cities without such services may face pressure to accommodate similar programs.