NuTonomy and Lyft have agreed to a research and development partnership that will result in the two entities testing self-driving vehicles in Boston in the “coming months.”

Through the partnership, the companies will “align their respective technology platforms to gather valuable research and insights into all aspects of ensuring a passenger’s comfort and safety during an autonomous vehicle (AV) ride.” Those aspects will include everything from routing and booking, to how the driving system performs, interacts and communicates with the rider. 

In a call with reporters on June 5, Lyft CEO Logan Green said that the first stage of the partnership will focus on “research and development on passenger experience,” while the next stages “could lead to thousands of NuTonomy cars on the Lyft platform.”

According to Karl Iagnemma, NuTonomy's CEO and Co-founder, Renault Zoe electric vehicles will be used during the pilot. Those vehicles will be equipped with nuTonomy's software for self-driving vehicles, and they will be integrated with Lyft's network. 

For nuTonomy, the company is no stranger to testing autonomous vehicles in the Boston area, as it has been testing self-driving electric vehicles in the city since the beginning of 2017.

Those tests are being conducted in Boston’s Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park and the adjacent Seaport and Fort Point neighborhoods.

During those drives, a nuTonomy engineer rides in the vehicles to observe system performance, and take control of the vehicle if necessary.

In Singapore, nuTonomy is also testing self-driving vehicles and a ride-hailing pilot, with the goal of introducing an autonomous taxi service next year.