Lyft Express Drive Car Rental Review | Seattle Driver

Lyft rolled out their Express Drive Program , and since then has been expanding to more and more cities. The program is designed to make it possible for new drivers to drive for Lyft while renting a car through Hertz. It also subsidizes the cost of renting a car to drive depending on the number of trips given each week.

If you’re interested you can use the following link to sign up for Lyft Express Drive.

Most drivers comment that this is a good short term solution for drivers who may want to drive for Lyft temporarily, but don’t recommend it long term. Personally, I think it can be a great option for drivers in strong markets. Ridesharing, along with most gigs in the on-demand economy are geared towards people who want flexible, part time work solutions. The Express Drive program from Lyft makes this type of work solution available to even more people.

It also allows for personal use of the car at a low cost of 20 cents per mile while you are renting. This is a huge step towards a car-sharing economy where car ownership is not required.

It is however very important to consider all of the costs that go into renting through Express Drive and what level of rides you need to give in order to make it profitable.

Here’s how the program works:

• When using a rental, Lyft’s Rental Rewards Program can help reduce your weekly costs. This program includes mileage and rental reimbursement rewards. Drivers would not be eligible for Power Driver Bonus or any kind of average hourly guarantees.
• Express Pay is not available when driving a rental car.
• You can keep the rental as long as you like, and schedule a return within 24 hours.
• Lyft now allows for multiple cars on the platform so you can switch cars when you like. However, when you do so, you will still not be eligible for Power Drivers Bonus or average hourly guarantees.
• $9/week* – Give 120+ rides a week (this ride number changes and fluctuates by market, some markets do not subsidize the full rental cost)
• $104/week – Give 100 rides a week
• $144/week  – Give 80 rides a week
• The cost when driving for personal use is 20¢/mile
• Above rates are subject to the terms and conditions of your rental agreement and applicable taxes and fees.
• As a bonus, insurance and maintenance are always included.
• You must be 25+ years old to rent a car though Hertz.

In Seattle, the rewards program payouts are structured as follows:

Cost to rent a vehicle: $209.00 per week

Rental bonuses:

• $200 per week bonus when you give 120 rides in week with 40 rides during peek hours.
• $105.00 per week bonus when you give 100 rides per week with 35 rides during peak hours.
• $65.00 per week bonus when you give 80 rides with 25 rides during peak hours.

It’s currently available in the following markets:

• Atlanta
• Austin
• Baltimore
• Boston
• Charlotte
• Chicago
• Dallas/Fort Worth
• Denver
• Detroit
• Houston
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• Nashville
• New Orleans
• Orange County
• Orlando
• Philadelphia
• Phoenix
• Pittsburgh
• Portland
• Sacramento
• Salt Lake City
• San Antonio
• San Diego
• San Francisco
• San Jose
• Seattle
• Tampa Bay
• Washington, D.C.

How do new drivers sign up for Express drive?

New drivers can use this link to sign up for Express Drive. Express Drive must be available in your city in order to sign up. The sign up process is almost exactly the same as it would be to normally sign up for Lyft, except that you put down a rental deposit which can be fully refunded if you do not pass a background check.

Is Express Drive available to existing drivers?

Yes it is. You can sign up under the “vehicles” tab in your driver dashboard.