Lyft is launching a new program in Seattle Wednesday that allows riders to request electric vehicles and hybrids in the app.
“Green Mode” is live in the Lyft app in Seattle and it appears to cost the same as a traditional economy car.
Lyft said Seattle was selected as the first city for the Green Mode launch “due to its high volume of hybrids and EVs” already on the platform. Lyft plans to expand the program to other cities eventually.
To make the program possible, Lyft will allow drivers to rent electric vehicles through an expansion of its Express Drive program, which connects drivers who don’t have vehicles with rental providers like Hertz and Avis. Lyft plans to provide unlimited charging for the electric vehicles as part of the weekly rental rate, at least for the initial launch.
“This reinforces our commitment to a sustainable future and will reduce the amount of emissions created by vehicles on the Lyft platform,” said Lyft Seattle’s general manager, Todd Kelsay, in a statement.
This story has been updated to clarify the details of Express Drive.
