You could soon be ordering driverless cars from NuTonomy via Lyft

By Lulu Chang Updated June 8, 2017

A Typical Day in Singapore

Your Lyft driver may in time need to start looking for other work. On Tuesday, June 6, Lyft announced a new partnership with Boston-based NuTonomy, a self-driving car technology company. The goal of the “strategic R&D partnership” is to better understand and optimize the “end-to-end experience of autonomous vehicle passengers.” So what does that mean for you? Basically, you can soon expect to see “thousands” of on-demand, self-driving cars in Boston over the course of the next several months.

“By combining forces with Lyft in the U.S., we’ll be positioned to build the best passenger experience for self-driving cars,” Karl lagnemma, CEO and co-founder of NuTonomy, said of the new collaboration. “Both companies care immensely about solving urban transportation issues and the future of our cities, and we look forward to working with Lyft as we continue to improve our autonomous-vehicle software system.”

This is by no means the first time Lyft has toyed with the idea of a self-driving fleet. Just last month, the Uber competitor announced that it would be collaborating with Alphabet’s Waymo on autonomous cars, and before that, it accepted a $500 million investment from GM to put self-driving Chevy Bolts on the road. Of course, with this considerable preponderance of partners, it certainly seems as though Lyft could hit its goal of having most of its rides conducted by autonomous vehicles by 2021.

“At Lyft, we imagine a world where car ownership is optional and cities are designed for people instead of cars,” said Logan Green, CEO and co-founder of Lyft. “Partnering with NuTonomy is an important step towards making this vision a reality. The NuTonomy team is one of the first movers in autonomous vehicle development, and we look forward to working with them to bring their autonomous vehicles to the Lyft network.”

So when can we expect to see the fruits of this labor? Apparently, a limited pilot in Boston will be launched in just a few months, whereupon Lyft users will be able to hail a driverless car from NuTonomy directly through the Lyft app.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…

Cars

Ariel E-Nomad Concept could create a new segment in the EV space

2024 ariel e nomad concept pictures specs

Ariel, a small British company known for developing segment-bending sports cars, has unveiled an electric version of its Nomad 2 off-roader. While still at the concept stage, the E-Nomad will create a new niche in the EV space if it receives the proverbial green light for production.

Going electric wasn't an excuse to tone down the styling, and the E-Nomad looks just as wild as the Nomad 2 it's based on. Sitting high off the ground, it's characterized by two pairs of three headlights that give it a bug eye look, wheels that stick out from the body, and a highly functional interior. There's nothing else quite like it on the road; it's pegged at the intersection of sports cars, SUVs, and dune buggies.

Cars

Does single-pedal driving actually extend EV range? It’s complicated

Rivian R1S Gen 2.

With the rise of electric vehicles, regenerative braking has become a whole lot more common, and many drivers of EVs assume that using maximum regenerative braking settings means they're getting a better range. Part of this has to do with how EV manufacturers present regenerative braking -- as a way to recapture energy that would otherwise be lost.

But when you really think about it, using single-pedal driving may not necessarily be that much more efficient. What's the best way to get maximum efficiency from your electric car? Turns out, it's complicated.
What is regenerative braking?
In an EV, regenerative braking essentially recaptures the kinetic energy produced by a car when it slows down, which is then converted into energy and stored in the battery to be used later on. It’s a way to ensure that your vehicle is capturing as much energy as possible, which could theoretically maximize range in a world of range anxiety.

Cars

Volvo’s EX90 was meant to be a tech buffet, but ends up a satisfying snack

2025 Volvo EX90 front quarter view.

EVs and tech have become intertwined. That's great for the people who want cars to act like four-wheeled smartphones, which seem to be the focus of many auto-industry product planning decisions, but not for those who want transportation. That’s abundantly clear from the development saga of the 2025 Volvo EX90.

Volvo has developed an appealing and distinctive aesthetic in recent years, one that carries forward to this three-row electric SUV that's positioned to compete against the cluster of luxury EVs hovering in the high-five-figure price range. But instead of concentrating on that strength, Volvo crammed in many software-based features that have proven difficult to implement.