Can Rideshare Make Cities Greener?

Rideshare cars are much ‘greener’ than U.S. cars in general according to a SherpaShare analysis, lending credence to the theory that ridesharing can help reduce overall emissions in major cities. Over 12% of SherpaShare rideshare drivers reported they drove hybrid vehicles, and an additional 2% said they drove fully electric vehicles (EVs).

The 14% of rideshare vehicles that are ‘green’ (i.e., hybrids or EVs) compares favorably with U.S. cars as a whole. For example, only 3.2% of new vehicles sold in 2017 were ‘green’ vehicles, up from 2.9% in 2016.

“Uber and Lyft are both making concerted efforts to prompt drivers to use more fuel-efficient cars,” said Andy Pillsbury, VP at SherpaShare. “So it’s likely we’ll see this shift towards greener rideshare cars accelerate.”

The average rideshare vehicle was less than four years old according to the analysis. The average age of a U.S. car on the road is 11.6 years according to IHS.

The Toyota Prius was the most popular ‘green’ vehicle driven by rideshare drivers, followed by the Chevy Volt.

Uber recently launched a yearlong program in which it provides financial incentives to drivers in Austin, Los Angeles, Montreal, San Diego, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Seattle to switch to electric vehicles. Lyft reported the company would provide at least 1 billion rides per year by 2025 using autonomous electric vehicles.

According to some studies, ridesharing has made traffic worse in some major cities. However, if technology giants like Uber and Lyft can work with local governments to reduce congestion and foster greener and cheaper transportation options through their electric car and carpool initiatives, cities may be on their way to solving environmentally friendly and efficient mobility.

For more information please contact business@sherpashare.com

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