Community Updates

Making Cities More Livable with Electric Vehicles

Last year Lyft became the first and only company of our kind to become carbon neutral. This year, we’re upping our commitment to the environment as the next step in our Green Cities Initiative.

By Lyft | Published 5 years ago | About a 3 minute read

Image: Lyft

In 2019, Lyft will work to introduce thousands of electric vehicles (EVs) onto our platform, and will make it easier for riders to request them through Green Mode. These efforts will provide cleaner transportation options for Lyft riders, and increase net earnings for our driver community. Once adopted widely, EVs hold the promise of making cities more livable by dramatically reducing air pollution.

More Sustainable Transportation

Replacing gasoline-powered cars with EVs is a significant step forward in our efforts to fight climate change, and to improve the quality of life in our cities. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, EVs produce less than half the greenhouse gas emissions of comparable gasoline-powered vehicles over their lifetime.

This effort will reduce the amount of emissions created by vehicles on the Lyft platform. Following the commitments we made last year, all EV charging will be covered by 100% renewable electricity.

Green Mode: A Cleaner Option for Riders

After hearing rider requests for cleaner vehicle options, passengers will be able to choose hybrid or electric vehicles through Green Mode - first in Seattle starting today, and then in other parts of the country. This is part of our larger effort to provide eco-friendly transportation options across our platform.

By launching Lyft scooters, becoming America’s largest bikeshare service through our acquisition of Motivate, and integrating public transit into the Lyft app, we’re working to create a better future for the communities we serve, and to provide more options for our riders.

EV Rentals on Express Drive: Helping Drivers Save Money

Drivers consistently tell us they want to increase their hourly net earnings by lowering fuel costs. In addition, over 80% of those drivers told us they favor eco-friendly vehicle options.

We’ve taken these requests to heart. Lyft is launching EVs as an expansion of Express Drive, a rental program which allows those who don’t own a vehicle to earn with Lyft. Through our rental partners, Express Drive connects drivers to rental vehicles with unlimited mileage and standard maintenance, as well as insurance coverage.

As part of the initial launch, unlimited charging will be included in the weekly rental rate. Since electricity is less expensive than gasoline and EVs are significantly more fuel-efficient than conventional vehicles, the typical cost to travel in an EV is half that of traveling in a gasoline-powered car. Combining lower fuel costs with affordable rental rates, we anticipate that individual drivers can save hundreds of dollars per month, and thousands of dollars per year, on fuel costs alone.

Making a Positive Impact

EVs will be introduced as part of Express Drive throughout the year, already starting in Seattle and Atlanta, with Green Mode launching today in Seattle and coming to other regions in the future. We’re dedicated to building on our promise to offer transportation options that are better for the environment, while providing better economic opportunities for drivers - and are excited to be at the forefront of sustainable mobility as we work to make our cities more livable.