In 2019, we added electric vehicles (EVs) to our rental car fleet, providing a cleaner transportation option for Lyft riders, and increasing net earnings for our driver community. But our work was not yet done: more drivers expressed interest in fuel-efficient vehicles than there were EVs available, so additional cars were needed to meet the growing demand.
To address this, we’re adding thousands of hybrid vehicles over the coming months to Express Drive, a rental program that allows those who don’t own a vehicle to earn with Lyft. The addition of these new hybrid vehicles will help more drivers increase their hourly net earnings by lowering their fuel costs — something our drivers consistently seek.
The new hybrids — 2019 Hyundai Ioniqs — average 58 mpg, creating up to $50 in gas savings a week, depending on driving habits.
In addition to incredible gas savings, these vehicles also come equipped with a number of advanced safety features, including Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Warning with Lane Keep Assist function, Blind Spot Detection and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert. ]
Hybrids through Express Drive are already available in San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Detroit, Baltimore, Washington DC, Philadelphia, San Diego, Dallas Fort Worth, and Los Angeles. And, hybrids through Express Drive be coming soon to Denver, Providence, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta. Those interested in driving with Lyft through Express Drive can submit an application directly in the Lyft Driver app, or find the application here.
This expansion of our Express Drive rental fleet comes on the heels of other initiatives we’re taking to make cities more livable and drive down vehicle emissions. These efforts include being the only company of our kind to be fully carbon-neutral.