In this episode, Harry speaks with Jeremy Bird, the Executive Vice President of Driver Experience at Lyft. They discuss Jeremy’s role and responsibilities, including his focus on autonomous vehicles (AV) and their integration into Lyft’s services.
Jeremy emphasizes the importance of having an open and honest conversation about the impact of AVs on human drivers, highlighting the potential for a hybrid future where both AVs and human-driven cars coexist. He mentions Lyft’s upcoming partnership with May Mobility to introduce AVs on the platform and stresses the need for economic mobility and support for drivers.
The conversation also covers Lyft’s commitment to driver earnings, transparency, and new initiatives like an enhanced rewards program and opportunities for drivers to advance or transition in their careers. Jeremy asserts that while AVs may bring changes, the goal is to grow the overall market and improve the driver and rider experience.
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Quick Takeaways
- Lyft sees autonomous vehicles (AVs) as part of a hybrid future, not a total replacement for human drivers.
- The presence of AVs like Waymo in cities like San Francisco hasn’t reduced driver hours—driver growth continues alongside AV expansion.
- Jeremy emphasizes the importance of growing the pie, not dividing it. AVs can serve less desirable rides like short city trips, freeing up more profitable trips for human drivers.
- Optionality is key: riders will be able to choose between AVs and human drivers depending on their preferences.
- In the future, drivers may own AVs themselves, turning them into passive income vehicles, though affordability and access are current barriers
- Lyft is exploring retrofit partnerships to help existing drivers transition into AV ownership as the tech evolves.
- AVs aren’t a threat right now for most markets, and Lyft is committed to listening to drivers and supporting economic mobility.
- Jeremy encourages drivers to see themselves as entrepreneurs, with future opportunities to profit from automation rather than be replaced by it.
- Lyft: https://therideshareguy.com/newlyftdriver
- Jeremy Bird’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-bird-6a03aa11/
- RSG261: EV Fleet Charging With Bluedot – Martin Hamedani
- RSG263: Justin Pappan on Renting a Fleet of Teslas! (EV Access)
- Harry’s Newsletter: The Driverless Digest
RSG264: Watch The Podcast On YouTube
Watch our YouTube episode to hear Lyft’s take on autonomous vehicles and what the future looks like for human drivers. While you’re there, hit subscribe!
