Waymo Opens Robotaxi Service to Teenagers in Nashville
Alphabet's autonomous vehicle unit will permit riders aged 13 to 17 to hail trips under parent-linked accounts.
Waymo is opening its autonomous ride-hailing service to riders as young as 13 in Nashville, marking the company's second market to offer teen-focused accounts. The Alphabet-owned autonomous vehicle venture previously introduced teen accounts in Phoenix last year and plans to roll the program out to additional operating territories in the coming months.
According to a report from TechCrunch , a Waymo spokesperson confirmed that Nashville is the "first of many" planned expansions for the teen account program across markets utilizing the primary Waymo app. The company indicated that eligibility will depend on operational maturity and local regulatory approval.
Under the program, teen accounts must be linked to a parent or guardian. Once configured, teenage account holders can independently request rides throughout Waymo's Nashville operational territory and may bring up to three guests between the ages of 13 and 17. Waymo did not disclose how passenger ages will be verified.
Waymo entered Nashville in April 2026 with a 50-square-mile coverage area supported by municipal officials, and earlier this month made its robotaxis available to passengers through the Lyft application.
The focus on teen riders comes alongside significant growth in Waymo's overall ride volume. Paid robotaxi trips increased tenfold from 50,000 per week in May 2024 to more than 500,000 per week earlier this year, supported by commercial launches in a dozen cities over that span. In the past month alone, the company introduced commercial services in Denver, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Tampa.
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