Sidecar

Sidecar CEO explains why ride-hailing company sold to GM, calls patents ‘key component’

by Taylor Soper on January 20, 2016January 20, 2016 at 2:21 pm1 Comment

In a blog post penned today, Sidecar CEO Sunil Paul confirmed that General Motors acquired his ride-hailing company and explained why the deal happened. Bloomberg first reported on Tuesday that… Read More

Report: GM acquires most of Sidecar’s assets and technology

by Greg Sandoval on January 19, 2016January 19, 2016 at 10:01 amComment

Big automakers continue to make defensive moves against the competitive threat posed by ride-hailing services, such as Uber and Lyft. General Motors has acquired most of the assets of the… Read More

Sidecar shutdown leaves Uber and Lyft to battle it out in ride-hailing market

by Taylor Soper on December 29, 2015December 29, 2015 at 4:45 pm 7 Comments

Sidecar, a pioneer in the ride-hailing market, is shutting down its ride and delivery operations on Dec. 31, its co-founders Sunil Paul and Jahan Khanna announced today. The news leaves heavily-funded startups Uber and Lyft… Read More

Sidecar shifts focus to deliveries, says it has the ‘largest B2B on-demand network’ in the U.S.

by Taylor Soper on August 17, 2015August 17, 2015 at 10:48 pm 2 Comments

Sidecar’s decision to shift its business model toward delivering packages, rather than people, seems to be a good one thus far. The San Francisco-based company originally launched back in 2012, primarily… Read More

Uber rival to deliver champagne, hopes to attract upscale clientele

by Monica Nickelsburg on July 27, 2015July 27, 2015 at 12:22 pmComment

Ride-hailing app Gett has raised more than $200 million in funding — and it’s celebrating with champagne. Lots of champagne, it turns out, due to a new partnership with Veuve Cliquot.… Read More

Port of Seattle open to Uber, Lyft doing airport pickups but needs time to establish new regulations

by Taylor Soper on May 26, 2015May 27, 2015 at 8:54 am 2 Comments

The Port of Seattle wants to let companies like Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar pick up passengers at the airport, but its leadership needs a bit more time to develop new regulations. The… Read More

Uber, Lyft may soon be allowed to pick up passengers at Seattle airport

by Taylor Soper on May 26, 2015May 26, 2015 at 4:28 pm 6 Comments

Smartphone owners needing a ride from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport may soon have a few more transportation options. The Port of Seattle has been in negotiations with Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar — also known as… Read More

Q&A: How Sidecar is turning into a delivery company by combining people with packages

by Taylor Soper on May 12, 2015May 12, 2015 at 8:36 amComment

Sidecar is turning into a delivery business. Up until the beginning of 2015, the San Francisco-based startup was primarily focused on using everyday drivers to shuttle people around town. Yet… Read More

Sidecar now delivers medical marijuana thanks to partnership with ‘Uber for weed’ startup Meadow

by Taylor Soper on May 12, 2015May 12, 2015 at 8:28 am1 Comment

When asked if he thought Sidecar would be delivering weed in its third year of existence, Sunil Paul lets out a huge laugh. “No,” he said, chuckling. Yet today, his company… Read More

SherpaShare launches app to help Uber, Lyft drivers maximize earnings and track mileage

by Taylor Soper on May 11, 2015May 11, 2015 at 8:12 amComment

A new San Francisco-based startup wants to help drivers who work for Uber, Lyft, Sidecar, Postmates, and other on-demand companies make more money and better understand their actual earnings. SherpaShare… Read More

Sidecar brings its fast-growing delivery service to Seattle, partners with Eat24

by Taylor Soper on March 25, 2015March 25, 2015 at 8:24 am1 Comment

The next time you have food delivered in Seattle, it could very well be a Sidecar driver showing up at your front door. The San Francisco-based startup announced today that it… Read More

Sidecar’s delivery service now accounts for 25% of total rides in San Francisco

by Taylor Soper on March 17, 2015March 17, 2015 at 2:25 pmComment

Sidecar is turning into a delivery company. The San Francisco-based startup reported today that 25 percent of its total rides provided in the Bay Area are now deliveries, up 15… Read More

Packages with people: Sidecar launches same-day delivery service, partners with Eat24

by Taylor Soper on February 9, 2015February 9, 2015 at 10:58 am 2 Comments

Sidecar is no longer just getting people from point A to point B — the company is delivering packages now, too. The San Francisco-based startup announced a new service today… Read More

News Brief

Sidecar follows Uber and Lyft by adding $1 ‘RideSafe’ fee

Lyft inks deal with Denver International to pick up, drop off passengers

by Taylor Soper on November 25, 2014November 25, 2014 at 9:47 pm 6 Comments

Lyft is officially allowed to operate at Denver International Airport. The company today announced that it inked a deal with airport officials to legally pick up and drop off passengers… Read More

Uber reportedly wants to raise another $1 billion

by Taylor Soper on November 7, 2014November 7, 2014 at 3:04 pm 4 Comments

Uber appears to be raising another meteoric round. A report this afternoon from the Financial Times indicates that the San Francisco-based company is looking to raise another $1 billion at a valuation… Read More

Sidecar’s carpooling feature approved by California regulators; Uber, Lyft still waiting

by Taylor Soper on November 3, 2014November 5, 2014 at 2:14 pm 3 Comments

Update, Nov. 5 — The CPUC issued a new ruling on Tuesday superseding the previous ruling that we reported on Nov. 3. See details at the bottom of this post. … Read More

uberX, Lyft approved to pick up and drop off passengers at SFO

by Taylor Soper on October 20, 2014October 20, 2014 at 7:07 pm 4 Comments

San Francisco International Airport is now allowing the three major on-demand transportation startups to pick up and drop off passengers on its property. Less than a week after Sidecar gained… Read More

Sidecar approved to operate at San Francisco airport; Uber, Lyft still illegal

by Taylor Soper on October 14, 2014October 14, 2014 at 5:16 pm 4 Comments

Folks traveling to and from San Francisco International Airport will now have a legal way to hail a Sidecar. The on-demand transportation startup today reached an agreement with SFO regulators that… Read More

Washington prepares to enact state insurance requirements for Uber, Lyft

by Taylor Soper on October 1, 2014October 1, 2014 at 10:10 pm 49 Comments

Colorado already has its own set of state-level regulations for companies like UberX and Lyft. California just enacted its own laws earlier this month. Now, Washington is preparing to do the… Read More

Tacoma legalizes UberX, Lyft under same regulations as taxis

by Taylor Soper on October 1, 2014October 1, 2014 at 11:44 am 15 Comments

With new startups like Uber and Lyft entering markets without regulation, taxi drivers often tell lawmakers that they want a “level-playing field.” Well, they’re getting one in Tacoma, Wash. UberX, Lyft, and… Read More

Uber driver allegedly strikes passenger on head with hammer

by Taylor Soper on September 27, 2014September 29, 2014 at 1:02 pm 17 Comments

An Uber driver in San Francisco allegedly hit a passenger on the head with a hammer and fractured his skull after an argument over routes. SFGate has the details of a… Read More

Authorities in San Francisco, Los Angeles threaten legal action against Uber, Lyft

by Taylor Soper on September 26, 2014September 26, 2014 at 2:33 pm 19 Comments

Authorities in California aren’t happy with the way new transportation startups like Uber are conducting business — and now they’re threatening legal action if changes don’t happen. District attorneys in San Francisco… Read More

CEOs of Postmates, Sidecar and more to highlight ‘sharing economy’ panel at the GeekWire Summit

by John Cook on September 16, 2014April 10, 2017 at 8:37 am1 Comment

Perhaps no story on GeekWire has generated as much interest (or discussion) over the past year as the “sharing economy” — the idea that ordinary folks can make a few… Read More

Sidecar raises $15M to build ‘world’s largest transportation marketplace’ as Richard Branson hops on as investor

by Taylor Soper on September 15, 2014September 15, 2014 at 9:51 pm 3 Comments

Sidecar may not make quite as many headlines as Uber or Lyft, but the transportation startup is certainly still finding success. That was made clear today with San Francisco company… Read More

Sidecar CEO responds to Uber’s questionable recruiting tactics: ‘I can’t say I’m surprised’

by Taylor Soper on August 28, 2014August 31, 2014 at 8:35 am1 Comment

The Verge story that published earlier this week and exposed Uber’s questionable recruiting tactics was a shock to many. After learning how Uber’s independent contractors take Lyft rides as a way to recruit new drivers… Read More

UberX drivers quit working in Seattle to protest lower wages

by Taylor Soper on August 28, 2014August 28, 2014 at 10:48 am 29 Comments

Some UberX drivers in Seattle are no longer working for Uber as a way to protest how they’ve been treated by the transportation company. About 100 drivers from a new group… Read More

Sidecar has been testing shared rides before Uber, Lyft; CEO says ‘people love this thing’

by Taylor Soper on August 6, 2014August 6, 2014 at 3:39 pm1 Comment

Uber and Lyft both made headlines today for introducing a new way for people to carpool with others who are riding on similar routes. But contrary to some reports, Sidecar is actually… Read More

Number of UberX drivers in Seattle soars past 2,000

by Taylor Soper on July 21, 2014July 21, 2014 at 11:05 am 15 Comments

If you’re looking for a ride in Seattle these days, waiting for an Uber vehicle will likely not take more than 10 minutes. That’s because there are more Uber drivers on… Read More

Uber and Lyft still collecting signatures, as Seattle City Council considers new agreement

by Taylor Soper on June 30, 2014November 16, 2014 at 5:15 pm 13 Comments

Despite reaching an agreement to allow Uber, Lyft and Sidecar to operate in Seattle legally, a coalition group is still collecting signatures from citizens — just in case the city’s lawmakers don’t approve the… Read More