cars news 10: GM-Lyft Express Drive Program Expands, Adds Chevrolet Bolt

Earlier this year, GM and Lyft partnered up to launch the Express Drive ridesharing program that lets drivers use GM vehicles for a rental fee. Originally launched in Chicago, the program has now been expanded to include California and Colorado, and will feature the all-new 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV.

This summer, Express Drive will debut in San Francisco, giving drivers access to the largest electric vehicle fleet in ridesharing, including the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid and Bolt EV hatchback. Denver will open later this year. Around 130,000 drivers who previously applied but didn’t qualify will now be able to drive on the platform.

Since March, the Express Drive program has been successful in Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C., and Baltimore, with 30 percent of new drivers requesting the program. Nearly $2 million has been earned by Lyft drivers since the program’s official launch.

“We are very pleased with the success of Express Drive and how quickly the team implemented the program since our alliance was announced earlier this year. The Chevrolet Bolt EV and Volt are a perfect fit for ridesharing offering very low operating costs and a wide range of connectivity features for both drivers and passengers,” said Dan Ammann, GM president, in a release.

Along with the ridesharing partnership, GM and Lyft announced earlier this year that they will begin developing an autonomous ridesharing network. We previously reported that the two companies will begin testing an autonomous fleet of Chevrolet Bolt EV taxis on public roads. Lyft drivers will be on hand to intervene if needed, but it’s expected the driver will be taken out of the equation as the technology develops.

Source: General Motors