INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
As of late, Lyft has been doubling down on its messaging that it wants to reduce the amount of car ownership in the United States The
company most recent example of its anti-car ownership efforts is coming in the form of a partnership with car rental company Avis.
As part
of a multi-year deal, Avis will add thousands of cars to Lyft Express Drive program, which offers drivers a way to rent cars on a weekly
basis from Hertz, Flexdrive and now, Avis.
Our partnership withAvisBudget Group allows us to provide new and existing drivers who are
seeking a reliable source of income with more quality options when choosing a vehicle,& Lyft COO Jon McNeill said in a press release
&And as more drivers decide to give up their own cars, they can continue to earn with Lyft as we expand the Express Drive program.
This
comes on the heels of Lyft bringing on Tesla now-former VP of worldwide service and customer experience, Karim Bousta, to lead Express
Drive.At Lyft, Bousta is also responsible for launching and scaling the next generation of Lyft Hubs, which are Lyft driver support centers
He also will be tasked with beefing up driver rewards and incentives.
Similarly, Uber offers weekly and daily car rentals for drivers via
Hertz, Getaround and Fair
Uber has since expanded its partnership with Getaround to enable anyone to rent a car for personal use via the Uber app.Dubbed Uber Rent,
the platform taps into Getaround existing marketplace of cars that are available for instant rentals.
In May,Lyft committed$100 million to
better support its drivers by specifically putting the money toward cheaper oil changes, basic car maintenance, serviced car washes and more
Lyft also will almost double its operating hours at its driver hubs in 15 cities throughout the nation.
The idea with that commitment is to
help drivers make more money and maximize their earnings by offsetting the costs of driving
Other benefits will include car and SUV rentals, tax education and more.
Lyft also says it expects to more than double its driver base in
Currently, Lyft has 1.4 million drivers,according to its latest economic impact report.
Lyft outlines bike and scooter plans
