Lyft’s self-driving shuttles are coming
Lyft is doubling down on autonomous transportation. The ride-sharing company has announced a partnership with Benteler Mobility to deploy self-driving, all-electric Holon Urban shuttles starting in late 2026. These compact, rectangular vehicles—developed by Benteler’s subsidiary, Holon—will initially launch in select airports and cities across the U.S., offering a new form of shared transportation accessible directly through the Lyft app.
Designed to carry up to 15 passengers, the Holon Urban shuttle is built for short, urban trips with a top speed of 37 miles per hour. The vehicle is equipped with an advanced suite of lidar and radar sensors, 11 onboard cameras, and operates at Level 4 autonomy. This level allows the shuttle to drive without human input within predefined, controlled environments—though not under every possible road condition.
The self-driving system powering the Holon shuttle is provided by Intel’s Mobileye, which is also working with Lyft to launch a separate fleet of robotaxis in 2025. This move marks another step in Lyft’s broader push into autonomous mobility and comes amid escalating competition with Uber, which is investing heavily in similar technologies through deals with Lucid Motors and Nuro.
While Lyft hasn’t disclosed specific cities for the Holon shuttle rollout, Holon has previously announced plans to build a manufacturing facility in Jacksonville, Florida. The company also indicated intentions to operate shuttles locally to connect residential areas with commercial hubs.
Lyft’s portfolio of autonomous partnerships continues to expand. Alongside its work with Holon and Mobileye, the company is planning to launch a robotaxi service in Atlanta later this year through May Mobility. It has also experimented with rides via Alphabet’s Waymo and currently supports trips using Motional vehicles in Las Vegas.
This wave of partnerships reflects a strategic shift for Lyft as it races to keep up with competitors in the rapidly evolving autonomous vehicle space. Whether these efforts will translate to widespread adoption or operational success remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the race to automate urban mobility is heating up fast.
