Ride sharing app Lyft and car maker General Motors announced details of a joint partnership to make ‘car ownership optional’ for drivers.
The ‘Express Drive’ program will roll out in Chicago offering Lyft drivers short term rentals of GM vehicles.
It will kick off this month in the Windy City and then to other metro areas like Boston, Washington, DC and Baltimore.
Drivers will be able to rent cars for up to eight weeks under the program at $99 a week, which also covers basic maintenance costs and insurance.
The $99 fee will be waived for those who make more than 65 rides per week.
Lyft says the partnership opens up more opportunities for drivers to join the Lyft platform.
It said more than 60,000 people in Chicago alone applied to drive for Lyft but did not have a vehicle that qualified.
"We’re making sure everyone who wants to be a Lyft driver can be, by providing ultimate flexibility at incredible rates," Lyft president John Zimmer said in a release.
GM recently announced a $500 million on-demand taxi service with Lyft for on-demand autonomous vehicles.
"We see the future of personal mobility as connected, seamless and autonomous. With GM and Lyft working together, we believe we can successfully implement this vision more rapidly," said GM President Dan Ammann.
