Lyft has teamed up with Smartcar to introduce ‘Rides in Range,’ a feature designed to address range anxiety among electric vehicle (EV) drivers on the platform. The feature ensures EV drivers only receive ride requests within their current battery range, providing peace of mind and encouraging more EV drivers to join the Lyft network.
The tech industry in the Bay Area has been hit hard by mass layoffs, with thousands of employees losing their jobs. Companies like Tesla, Google, Salesforce, and Lyft have all recently announced significant staff reductions. Tesla has laid off 6,020 employees in an effort to combat slowing demand and falling margins. Google has cut 12,000 jobs, or 6% of its global workforce. Salesforce has laid off 8,000 employees, or 10% of its workforce. And Lyft has cut 1,806 jobs, or 34% of its workforce.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s announcement of the company’s plans for a robotaxi fleet during the Tuesday earnings call has caused shares of Uber Technologies and Lyft to decline in early Wednesday trading. The concept would allow Tesla owners to rent out their vehicles for a ride-hailing service, while Tesla plans to own vehicles in the fleet and generate revenue from the program. Tesla is scheduled to hold a key robotaxi event on August 8th, and these announcements have investors keeping a close eye on the development and potential impact on the ride-hailing industry.
