John Risher on autonomous vehicles
From Lyft CEO on Nashville robotaxi partnership with Waymo · · CNBC Television
“I get why you would want to work with Waymo. I mean, if the future of ride sharing is self-driving, but why would Waymo need Lyft or even an Uber? Can't they just make an app and go out and do what you're doing?”
On , John Risher, Chief Executive Officer & Director at Lyft, spoke about autonomous vehicles during Lyft CEO on Nashville robotaxi partnership with Waymo on CNBC Television.
About John Risher
David Risher, CEO of Lyft, has emphasized the company's focus on "customer obsession" as the driver of its recent financial performance. He has stated that Lyft achieved its first profitable quarter in the company's history, with record rides, record riders, and record driver hours. Risher attributed this growth to a strategy of lowering prices, improving driver pay, and launching features such as "Women Plus Connect" and "Price Lock," which he said reduces surge pricing for predictable commutes. He also noted that Lyft's business has "never been stronger," citing 800 million rides and $16 billion in bookings, while acknowledging that the company has been competing on price, which he characterized as a response to competitors. Risher has also addressed Lyft's role in the autonomous vehicle market. He described a partnership with Waymo to launch a robotaxi service in Nashville, arguing that autonomous vehicle companies would benefit from Lyft's existing platform, which handles pricing, ETAs, and customer service at scale. He similarly discussed a partnership with Mobileye, stating that as the company's technology advances, its cars could become "Lyft ready." Risher has expressed a bullish outlook on the rideshare industry, saying it will be "so much bigger" in five years and that being the second-largest player is "not a terrible thing." He has also discussed his background working at Microsoft and Amazon, citing Jeff Bezos's "obsession with customers" as a key influence on his leadership approach.