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By Tina Bellon
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(Reuters) – Ride-hailing company Lyft Inc
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Instead, the company plans to push competitors, lawmakers and automakers to make it easier for drivers to switch to electric vehicles by creating financial incentives, Lyft executives said during a call.
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John Zimmer, Lyft\\\’s co-founder and president, said the company has reached a scale to impact policy change.
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Lyft, whose vehicle fleet is currently made up of less than 1% electric cars, in a statement said it would aggressively promote and help drivers access incentive funds.
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“If policymakers do their part in the next few years, EVs should reach cost parity with gasoline vehicles by mid-decade,” the company said.
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Environmental activists have called on Lyft and larger rival Uber Technologies Inc
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Uber has not made a blanket commitment to electrification, but is partially subsidizing drivers\\\’ electric vehicle purchases in London.
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Electric vehicles are currently more expensive than gasoline ones, but the comparable cost of operating and maintaining them over time is lower.
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Lyft said the price for ride-hail trips in battery-powered cars might even decline in the future.
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In the past, Lyft has said that 80% of its drivers have full or part-time jobs and offer rides to supplement their income.
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Many ride-hail drivers also use leasing companies to rent a vehicle and are concerned about the wear and tear to their cars.
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Lyft offers rental services for drivers and consumers through its own platform and said it would buy electric vehicles for that fleet, but declined to say how many.
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The company also said it was in active discussions with carmakers on electrification, but declined to provide details.
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(Reporting by Tina Bellon in Warwick, Rhode Island; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
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