fleet of Hyundai IONIQ 5 robo-taxis to Las Vegas after partnering with Motional last year.
Lyft is not the only major ride-hailing company to shift its focus to EVs. As a part of its plan to popularize electric ride-sharing, Uber recently launched its 'Comfort Electric' ride-hailing option that enables customers to choose an electric car for their ride. The company's electric fleet includes the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, the Polestar 2, and the Ford Mustang Mach-E. The Comfort Electric service was initially launched in May in a few cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Dubai. It has since expanded to several new locations, allowing Uber customers to book an EV instead of a gas-powered car in Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Austin, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.
On Monday, Lyft announced several new schemes to incentivize its drivers to switch to EVs. To start, there's a new earnings incentive for electric car drivers in California who are now eligible to get a $150 bonus every week if they give at least 50 rides in their vehicles. The offer applies to all drivers who their personal EVs on Lyft and will remain in place until the end of 2024. The payout, however, has an $8,100 cap.
Lyft Incentivizing EVs For Drivers
Lyft also announced partnerships with third-party EV charging networks to offer discounts to eligible drivers at public charging stations. As a part of the plan, Gold and Platinum drivers can claim up to 45 percent discounts at EVgo stations when they link their EVgo with Lyft. The company also partnered with home charger makers Wallbox and COIL to offer drivers discounts on Level 2 home charger kits.
Finally, Lyft drivers can get between one and seven percent cash back at public charging stations with the Lyft Direct debit card. The exact amount will be tied to a driver's Lyft Rewards tier — seven percent for Platinum drivers, three percent for Gold drivers, two percent for Silver drivers, and one percent for everybody else. It will be valid at all U.S. charging stations that accept MasterCard. Lyft said it is adding thousands of new EVs from Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Polestar, and others to its Express Drive rental fleet to offer drivers a low-cost alternative to buying their own EVs. Lyft also launched an educational website for drivers to help them learn more about why EVs would benefit them in the long run.
Source: Lyft