Feb 9 (Reuters) - Alphabet unit Waymo said on Monday it has gone fully autonomous in Nashville, Tennessee, ramping up operations as ‌the robotaxi race heats up in the United ​States.

In September, the company and Lyft ( LYFT ) ‍announced plans to start ⁠offering autonomous ⁠cab rides in Nashville this year, making it ‌the first commercial ​deployment of Waymo's driverless taxis on the ride-hailing firm's network.

While ⁠Waymo remains the ‍leader ​in the U.S. market, competition is brewing, with Elon Musk's Tesla, making ‍robotaxis a core priority for the company, pivoting away from electric vehicles. Waymo has a fleet of more than 2,500 vehicles operating in the ​San ‍Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Metro Phoenix in Arizona, Austin ​in Texas and Atlanta in Georgia.

Underscoring the rising investor interest, the self-driving startup last week said it had raised $16 billion in a fundraising round that valued it ​at $126 billion, nearly tripling its valuation in less than two years.