REDWOOD CITY, CA – The Ride-Hail Electrification Pilot Program, a first-of-its-kind effort in California launched in spring 2022 by Peninsula Clean Energy, Lyft and one of its Express Drive rental partners, Flexdrive, reached a significant milestone by providing more than 250,000 electric vehicle (EV) rides across more than 3 million all-electric miles driven in the Bay Area.
As part of the first pilot program to specifically offer incentives for drivers to rent electric vehicles for use in a ride-hailing service, Lyft drivers have given rides in all of the 100 all-electric Kia Niros being utilized for the program from Flexdrive. Since launching in April 2022, more than 300 ride-hail drivers have rented an EV, many of them for multiple months at a time. Peninsula Clean Energy is providing $500,000 toward a subsidy for ride-hail drivers to rent EVs at an affordable price.
“This pilot program helps break down one of the biggest barriers drivers face in transitioning to EVs: the upfront costs,” said Paul Augustine, Director of Sustainability, Lyft. “By partnering with Peninsula Clean Energy, we can help people utilize the benefits of driving an EV with Lyft who might not yet be ready to make the transition on their own. Our goal is to show that these types of partnerships can be successful and serve as a model for others to follow.”
“Reaching this milestone further signals how EVs powered by clean energy can handle a wide variety of transportation needs right now, from your personal use to high-mileage fleets like Lyft,” Peninsula Clean Energy CEO Jan Pepper said. “It also signals we can make strides to reduce a significant source of heat-trapping emissions not just in our region but in other regions as well.”
Participating drivers have avoided using 100,000 gallons of gasoline and saved an estimated $470,000 on fueling costs by driving vehicles powered solely by electricity. The program is projected to prevent as much as 200,000 gallons of gasoline usage, thousands of tons of greenhouse gasses, and save ride-hail drivers as much as $750,000 in combined cost over the approximately 18-month pilot.
Drivers are trained on EV use and benefits, and vehicles also carry EV education information for riders. Lyft provides drivers with a chance to opt into an unlimited fast charging plan through Lyft’s charging partners.
The program also features EV onboarding for drivers and access to an unlimited fast charging plan. Collection of EV fleet utilization and charging data will inform and facilitate further expansion among the ride-hailing fleet.
About Lyft
Lyft was founded in 2012 and is one of the largest transportation networks in the United States and Canada. As the world shifts to transportation-as-a-service, Lyft is at the forefront of this massive societal change. Our transportation network brings together rideshare, bikes, scooters, car rentals, transit and vehicle services all in one app. We are singularly driven by our mission: to improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation.
About Peninsula Clean Energy
Peninsula Clean Energy is a Community Choice Aggregation agency. It is the official electricity provider for San Mateo County and for the City of Los Banos. Founded in 2016 with a mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the agency serves a population of 810,000 by providing more than 3,600 gigawatt hours annually of electricity that is 50 percent renewable, 100 percent clean and at lower cost than PG&E. As a community-led, not-for-profit agency, Peninsula Clean Energy makes significant investments in its communities to expand access to sustainable and affordable energy solutions. Peninsula Clean Energy is also on track to deliver electricity that is 100 percent renewable by 2025. The agency has earned investment grade credit ratings from Moody’s and Fitch. Follow us at PenCleanEnergy.com, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.