Lyft announces new incentives to get drivers to go electric

Lyft announced on Monday a number of new partnerships and offerings for its drivers who are looking to switch to electric vehicles, as part of the company’s push to go all electric by 2030. 

The suite of announcements include a new earnings incentive for drivers in California, on-the-go and at-home charging discounts, an educational website, and plans to grow its budding car rental program. 

“Electrifying our transportation network is a crucial step in helping reverse the negative impacts of climate change,” Lyft Director of Sustainability Paul Augustine said in a statement.

Drivers in California who register their EVs on the platform by the end of 2023 can earn an extra $150 every week if they give 50 rides in their vehicles until the end of 2024. (The program has a cap of $8,100.) A spokesperson tells Fast Company that Lyft is testing the program in California since the state has the company’s largest EV market.

Lyft is also working with several third-party partners to further incentivize EVs. Drivers can access charging discounts at charging network EVgo stations if they link their account with Lyft. Those who invest in at-home chargers can receive $140 off certain home charger hardware by Wallbox. Drivers can also get pre-negotiated rates for L2 residential home charging installation with Coil, another third-party partner.  

Lyft additionally plans to add “thousands” of new EVs from a range of partners, including Polestar, Hyundai, Kia, and Ford, to its driver rental program. A new educational website is also available for drivers interested in making the switch to electric.

“We expect to continue making strategic investments and advocating for smart policies that help our drivers transition to EVs and fully electrify our transportation network,” the company said in a blog post. 

The announcements come more than two years after Lyft promised it would make its entire fleet electric by the end of the decade. While electric vehicles are currently more expensive than gas-powered ones, EVs have lower fuel and maintenance costs, leading the comparable operating cost over time to be lower.