Industry expert Anita Ramaswamy suggests that Amazon (AMZN) might consider acquiring Lyft (LYFT, Financial) to strengthen its position in the autonomous taxi sector, competing with Tesla (TSLA) and Alphabet's Waymo (GOOGL). Ramaswamy notes that the ride-hailing industry is entering a transformative phase, with companies like Uber preparing for a future dominated by self-driving taxis. Lyft, Uber's main competitor, faces more significant challenges, making it an attractive acquisition target for Amazon.
Lyft's extensive network of 24 million active users could be crucial for Amazon's commercialization of its autonomous vehicle ambitions. The partnership between Lyft and Zoox, a company Amazon acquired in 2020, poses a credible threat to Waymo and enhances Amazon's potential to expand Zoox's services into food delivery.
Amazon's strategic acquisition of Lyft could revolutionize the smart transportation market, offering a more efficient solution by leveraging Zoox's technology. Lyft's stock surged nearly 5% on the news of a potential merger, marking its first increase in five days.
