Lyft is expanding its Green mode, which allows drivers to specify electric or hybrid vehicles, to other cities starting April 17.
“We’ve seen an explosion of interest in electric vehicles — and once a driver or an electric vehicle driver, they have more likely to like them more in the future.” blog post expanded publication.
Green mode tested for the first time in Seattle in 2019and is currently only available in Portland, Oregon. It is currently expanding to 14 cities and regions, including: San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, Boston, New York City, Chicago, San Diego, Austin, Denver, Orange County, Sacramento, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.
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Even in these regions, Green mode will currently only be available to drivers with a Lyft business record. However, this only requires a work email to set up, Lyft notes. With the business profile selected, the driver simply selects the Green mode when setting up the trip.
Under the current program, Green mode rides are now $1 more than standard rides. According to Lyft, Lyft split that money among drivers and strives to increase the number of electric and hybrid vehicles.
If everything goes according to plan, Green mode will eventually become redundant. In 2020, Lyft announced plans fully electric by 2030. In 2021, California has passed a mandate is looking to make ride-hailing fleets electric by 2030, with gradual rules starting in 2023 to begin electric vehicle development.
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Lyft’s main competitor, Uber, is also target all-electric ride by 2030. It is taking a different approach, looking to actual vehicle manufacturers to help make ride-hailing more accessible. In 2021, startup Arrival launches electric vehicles designed for Uber and ride-hailingBut quit the project in 2022.
The efforts of both Lyft and Uber to switch to electricity could have a big impact on overall traffic emissions. A 2021 study found that the greenhouse gas footprint of ride-hailing could be higher than self-drivingPart of that is because drivers spend a lot of time “swinging” from place to place without passengers on board.
