Avis Budget group announced on Monday that it’s adding thousands of rental vehicles to the fleet of ride-hailing heavyweight Lyft.
The cars, which will be available for users of the Lyft app in various U.S. Cities, will allow people “to drive with Lyft without the cost and burden of car ownership,” Avis said in a statement. It’s not the first time rental vehicles have been incorporated into Lyft’s operations. Under its Express Drive Program, the company already rents out cars at a weekly rate from partners including Hertz and Flexdrive.
Adding rental cars to the ride-hailing ecosystem solves a problem of modern-day living, especially in urban areas: some potential Lyft drivers don’t own their own vehicles.
“Our partnership with Avis Budget Group allows us to provide new and existing drivers who are seeking a reliable source of income with more quality options when choosing a vehicle. And as more drivers decide to give up their own cars, they can continue to earn with Lyft as we expand the Express Drive program,” Lyft Chief Operating Officer Jon McNeill said in a statement.
Such partnerships also provide a lifeline to car rental companies, which are being squeezed by the taxi industry and ride-hailing sector alike. Just last week, Hertz announced it had partnered up with tech firm Aptiv to “assist with the operations and management of Aptiv’s Las Vegas autonomous vehicles (AVs).”
Make room on the road.