Lyft Says All Vehicles On Its Network To Go Electric By 2030
SOURCE: Alan Ohnsman | Forbes | June 17, 2020
Lyft says it will help boost EV charging infrastructure in the U.S. | GETTY
Lyft wants to curb greenhouse gases generated by its massive U.S. rideshare network so it’s committing to shifting to all-electric vehicles by 2030, one of the biggest corporate commitments to date to reducing carbon pollution.
The San Francisco-based company said the move could eliminate “tens of millions of metric tons of GHG emissions to the atmosphere and to reduce gasoline consumption by more than a billion gallons over the next decade.” The company said it’s also in talks with automakers to find ways to make battery-powered vehicles, which are cheaper to own and operate but have much higher upfront costs than gasoline models, more affordable for its drivers.
“We’re looking at ways to bridge the economic gap between a gas vehicle and an EV”
“We’re looking at ways to bridge the economic gap between a gas vehicle and an EV,” Lyft president and cofounder John Zimmer said in a conference call, without providing specifics. “We need to make it a financial no-brainer.”
Conversations with automakers are underway, Zimmer said, without elaborating. The initiative includes vehicles in Lyft’s Express Drive rental car program for drivers, consumer rentals and its autonomous vehicle fleet. Zimmer didn’t say how much money the company is willing to invest in the project.