Waymo Opens Robotaxi Access to Teens Aged 13 and Up in Nashville

Waymo, the Alphabet subsidiary specializing in autonomous driving, has announced it will permit passengers as young as 13 to book its robotaxi service in Nashville. This move marks the company’s latest effort to broaden its customer base by targeting a demographic that traditionally relies on parents or public transportation for travel.

Nashville becomes the second U.S. city to host Waymo’s teen account feature, following the program’s launch in Phoenix last year. According to a company spokesperson, this Nashville rollout is merely the first of several anticipated expansions into other markets over the coming months. The company indicated that future launches will prioritize regions where its operations are well-established and local regulations permit youth ridership.

Although Waymo entered the Nashville market relatively recently—launching service across a 50-square-mile area in April 2026—it has already secured support from local officials. Earlier this month, the company further integrated its services by making its robotaxis available through the Lyft app.

The initiative arrives amid a period of rapid growth for Waymo. Paid autonomous trips have surged tenfold in the past two years, climbing from 50,000 per week in May 2024 to over 500,000 weekly earlier this year. During this timeframe, Waymo has expanded into a dozen cities, including recent openings in Denver, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Tampa within the last month alone.

Under the new teen account structure, users must link their profiles to a parent or guardian. Once activated, teenagers can hail rides anywhere within Nashville’s service area and invite up to three friends aged 13 to 17. Waymo did not disclose the specific methods used to verify the ages of these passengers.

While allowing four teenagers to ride unsupervised in an autonomous vehicle might raise concerns about potential disruption, the policy could appeal to parents seeking a safer alternative to having their children driven by inexperienced teen motorists.