Robotaxis, Mayhem, and the End of Driving as We Know It?

As someone who genuinely enjoys being behind the wheel, I’ll admit I’m not the target audience for autonomous vehicles. I love the feel of the road, the hum of a well-tuned engine, and the rhythm you find when you’re a few hours deep into a long drive.

That said, there’s a small (okay, maybe not that small) part of me that wouldn’t mind kicking back and letting the car handle the monotony of I-40 during one of our frequent road trips. So when I heard Elon Musk say—again—that we’re just five years away from 80% of vehicles being autonomous, I tuned in.

Now, I don’t remember his exact words, but I could’ve sworn he said something to the effect of “80% of cars will be autonomous in five years.” I get the optimism. But as someone who still drives cars that don’t even have Apple CarPlay, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes a little.

Sure, 80% of newly sold EVs might have some sort of autonomy baked in. Maybe 80% of taxis and ride-shares go that route. But 80% of all cars? Nah. Not unless you plan on prying the keys out of my cold, calloused driver’s hands.

Lyft’s Big Autonomous Push

Still, the tech is moving faster than I think many of us are ready for. Just last week, Lyft announced that it’s launching a fleet of autonomous robotaxis in Atlanta this summer.

That’s right—no driver, small talk, or awkward tip calculation at the end. Just hop in a Toyota Sienna and let May Mobility’s system do the driving.

Lyft’s partnership with May Mobility is a serious step toward mainstreaming autonomous vehicles. These vans are built to handle the chaos of city streets (stop-and-go traffic, jaywalkers, unpredictable turns) and they’re already being tested in real-world scenarios—Atlanta’s just the start. Lyft says Dallas is up next in 2026, and there are more cities on the roadmap after that.

They’re not doing it alone, either. Lyft’s also teaming up with Marubeni and Mobileye, two major players in the autonomous tech space. The goal? Scale this thing, fast.

Is the Future Driverless?

Let’s not kid ourselves—this is a big deal. Autonomous vehicles could change urban transportation in ways we haven’t fully wrapped our heads around yet. If Lyft pulls this off, it could mean more consistent ride availability, fewer accidents caused by distracted drivers, and lower transportation costs in the long run.

But it also means a seismic shift in how we think about driving—and owning—cars. For folks who see their vehicle as more than just a way to get from Point A to Point B, that’s a tough pill to swallow. I’m not giving up my keys just because an algorithm says it can do better.

There are also plenty of practical hurdles: regulations, insurance liability, public trust (a big one), and the simple reality that most people hold onto their cars for a long time.

The average car on the road today is over 12 years old. I don’t see millions of folks trading in their perfectly good Camrys and F-150s just because robotaxis are cruising downtown Atlanta.

What I Can See

Here’s where I land: I think Elon’s partially right. We will see a huge uptick in autonomous vehicles in certain segments—especially ride-sharing, delivery, and urban mobility fleets. For people in cities, or folks who don’t love driving, it’ll be a game-changer.

But for the rest of us—the drivers who want to drive—it’s going to take a lot more than slick tech to convince us. I might enjoy a break during those long highway hauls, but I’m not ready to hand over the whole experience just yet.

Still, I’ll be watching what happens in Atlanta closely. Because if Lyft’s robotaxis can truly navigate that traffic mess, they might just be onto something.

And if they can do that and let me nap on the way to Florida? Well… maybe I’ll start saving for one after all.