Lyft ramps up car rental program for all drivers

BY LEAH WILLIAMS
Posted on AUG 10, 2019

Lyft partners with Avis Car Rental, in an effort to reduce the amount of car ownership in the United States.

On-demand transportation company Lyft confirms its most recent anti-car ownership initiative by partnering with car rental company Avis. As part of a multi-year deal, Avis will add thousands of cars to Lyft's Express Drive program, which offers drivers a way to rent cars on a weekly basis from Hertz, Flexdrive and now, Avis.

"Our partnership with Avis Budget 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."
As Lyft procures Tesla's now-former VP of worldwide service and customer experience, Karim Bousta, to lead Express Drive, Bousta becomes responsible for launching and scaling the next generation of Lyft Hubs, which are Lyft's driver support centers.

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's 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.

Additionally, Lyft reports that the company anticipates a double-increase in its driver base in the next five years.

Currently, Lyft has 1.4 million drivers, according to its latest economic impact report