Life just got way easier for people hoping to drive for Lyft, a car-hailing service similar to Uber. GM has promised to rent cars to Lyft drivers for free if they complete enough rides every week.
As many as 60,000 people in Chicago applied to be Lyft drivers, but they did not own a qualifying car. That’s where two-month-old partnership between Lyft and General Motors Co. comes in. GM just established the Express Ride program, in which Lyft drivers in Chicago can rent a vehicle on a weekly basis for just $99. If they complete 65 or more rides per week, the vehicle is free to rent. This program will soon be rolled out to Lyft in Boston, Washington D.C. and Baltimore, according to CNBC.
USA Today reported that John Zimmer, Lyft co-founder and president, said “Launching Express Drive is another way we treat our drivers better, in addition to Power Driver Bonus, tips and same day payouts. We’re making sure everyone who wants to be a Lyft driver can be, by providing ultimate flexibility at incredible rates.”Â
GM invested $500 million in Lyft two months ago, so the company is hoping that the rental service will allow Lyft to serve as many customers as possible. According to the The Los Angeles Times, more than 400 people have shown interest in the Express Drive program.
This is the first part of GM’s two-part plan for the ride-sharing company. The second part will be autonomous driving cars that customers can opt for—AKA self-driving cars! This plan is still a few years down the road, so let’s take advantage of the opportunity to drive cars for money while it lasts.