Waymo brings robotaxi accounts for teenagers to Nashville
Waymo adds Nashville teen accounts
Waymo will allow teenagers aged 13 and older to use its robotaxi service in Nashville, expanding its customer base to younger riders. The Alphabet-owned company has made Nashville the second city to offer teen accounts, following the programme’s launch in Phoenix last year.
Teen accounts must be linked to a parent or guardian. Once activated, however, users can request autonomous rides anywhere within Waymo’s Nashville service area. Account holders may also bring up to three guests aged 13 to 17.
Waymo did not say how it will verify the ages of teen riders and their guests. The company said it plans to introduce the option in additional markets, but only where its operations are mature and local regulations permit the service.
A new rider segment alongside rapid market growth
Nashville is a comparatively new Waymo market. The company launched its service in a 50-square-mile area in April 2026, and its robotaxis became available through the Lyft app earlier this month. Local leaders support the introduction of the teen service, Waymo said.
The move comes as Waymo continues to broaden its operating footprint. Paid robotaxi trips increased tenfold, from 50,000 a week in May 2024 to more than half a million per week earlier this year. Over the same period, the company launched robotaxi services in a dozen cities.
In the past month alone, Waymo opened services in Denver, Las Vegas, San Diego and Tampa. Its position in the autonomous-vehicle market is also reflected in Texas, where Waymo’s lead in autonomous vehicle registrations highlights its lead in autonomous vehicle registrations while Tesla trails substantially.
What teen access changes
Teen accounts give Waymo a route to riders who may otherwise depend on parents or public transport for trips to school, work and activities. The model gives families the ability to book rides for younger passengers while retaining a required parent or guardian connection to the account.
The service also permits small groups of teens to travel together, rather than limiting rides to an individual account holder. That broad access is part of the operating model Waymo is extending in Nashville, even though the company has not detailed age-verification procedures.
For transport, retail and venue businesses, the practical implication is that autonomous ride access may increasingly include family and youth travel, making local demand, operating-area coverage and platform partnerships relevant planning factors.