Lyft Car Rental: Lyft Express Drive, Maven, Or Hyrecar

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The advantages of driving for Lyft are hard to ignore, from the monetary benefits to the flexible schedule. This self-employment option works well for many, but also seems to exclude those without a vehicle. However, thanks to Lyft Express Drive, you can Drive With Lyft without owning, purchasing, or leasing a car. You can also get a Lyft car rental from companies like Maven and HyreCar.

Rental costs vary but usually range from $150 – $230 per week, depending on the vehicle and city. However, that cost includes insurance, taxes and fees. Also, you don’t have to worry about maintenance.

If you’re interested in driving for Lyft and you’d like to weigh what options you have for renting a car, here’s everything you need to know.

What Is Lyft Express Drive?

A simple and straightforward car rental service, Lyft Express Drive is the only car rental option that comes directly from Lyft itself, in partnership with Hertz, Avis, and Flexdrive. It’s currently available in about 30 cities.

But Lyft has just partnered with Avis to add thousands more cars to the Express Drive fleet, so expect the list of Express Drive cities to grow through the rest of 2018.

Lyft’s eventual goal is to have more than half their drivers using Express Drive. They even want to convince drivers who own a car to use Express Drive when driving for Lyft instead of their personal vehicle.

This program gives you access to a rental car that you can use to Drive With Lyft, and for personal use. You’ll simply fill out an application, then have access to a variety of rental options that you’ll be able to use for both Lyft and personal use. One stipulation is that you’ll need to complete at least 20 Lyft drives per week while renting the car; it cannot be used simply for personal drives.

Your car rental period is by week, so you’ll be subject to weekly billing periods that include your vehicle rental fee, the Lyft platform fee, and rental taxes. These charges will be taken out of your earnings for the week, meaning the money you make goes first toward covering the cost of maintaining the rental. These fees can vary depending on the type of car you’re renting, the rental car provider, and the city you’re located in.

Since the program does operate on a week to week basis, you’ll get the opportunity to decide whether driving for Lyft is something you want to continue to do. If your situation changes and you decide to stop driving for Lyft, you’ll be able to do so quickly and easily. The program is also ideal for those who Drive With Lyft and have a temporary problem with their vehicle, as it gives you a way to get back on the street while your car is in the shop. It is even a good option for those who need to rent a car and want to cut down or completely eliminate the cost of the rental by making money at the same time.

Advantages of Lyft Express Drive

The Lyft Express Drive program offers freedom from a long-term commitment and a flexible rental period, allowing you pick up and return the car whenever you want. Being a Lyft Express driver also boasts other benefits, including:

  • Unlimited miles: With this program, you’ll get unlimited miles for your Lyft drives as well as for personal use. As long as you complete your 20 Lyft drives a week, you can continue to drive your Lyft car rental wherever you need to go.
  • Insurance and maintenance: With insurance and maintenance fees included in the price of the rental, you can let go of any worries you have about coverage and routine maintenance.
  • Rental rewards: You’ll be eligible to receive a Rental Rewards bonus for completing enough rides and earning a 90 percent acceptance rating. This goes directly toward your rental price, reducing the cost of the car and increasing your profits at the end of each week.
  • Easy switching: While renting an Express car, you’ll also be able to use your own car if you have one. You can easily switch between cars, earning money by driving for Lyft with both vehicles.

Renting a vehicle from Express drive does require a refundable deposit, which varies by market.

How to Become a Lyft Express Driver

If you’re interested in making money while using a Lyft car rental, follow the steps below. If you’re not already a Lyft driver, you could also be eligible for a sign up bonus of up to $1000, or an earnings guarantee of $2500. Lyft Bonus amounts are determined by city.

Starting  Your Lyft Express Drive Application

Before becoming an Express Driver, you’ll need to satisfy the Lyft driver requirements. This includes passing a background check and driving record check. If you already Drive With Lyft, scroll down for current driver instructions.

1. Enter your phone number on the first screen.

Lyft Express Drive Application

2. Enter your information and the promo code MOVER on the second screen.

Lyft Express Drive Promo Code Entry

3. Choose “Rent With Express Drive” on the vehicle preference screen.

Lyft Car Rental

Once you’re approved as a Lyft driver, you’ll be able to schedule a pickup date for your Lyft rental car. Approval can take anywhere from 1 day to a few weeks, but usually take 5 – 10 days.

To start your Lyft Express Drive application with our promo code, and recieve a Lyft sign up bonus, click the button below.

 

Express Drive Rental For Current Lyft Drivers

If you already drive with Lyft, go to your driver dashboard and scroll down to “Express Drive” under the Vehicles section and hit “Rent With Express Drive.”

1. Choose the vehicle. You’ll then be able to choose the vehicle you would like to rent through either Hertz or Flexdrive (and soon Avis), using a Lyft-exclusive rate. To rent a vehicle through Hertz, you’ll need to be at least 25 years old. If you’re renting the vehicle through Flexdrive (only available in select markets), you need to be at least 21.

Lyft Express Drive - Schedule Your Rental

2. Put down a refundable deposit. Before beginning the Lyft Express Drive program, you’ll need to put down a deposit, with the amount depending on the city you are driving in. The deposit will be returned if you don’t pass the background or driving check, if you end the program before picking up the rental car, and if your account is in good standing after you return the rental car. Otherwise, the deposit will be used to cover outstanding payments and damages.

3. Pick up the car. Once you’ve completed all these steps, you’ll be able to schedule a vehicle pickup, after which you can get out on the streets and start earning money through Lyft.

Maven

Maven is GM’s rental car service that specializes in renting to those who want to earn money by driving for Lyft as well as other gigs, including food, package, and grocery delivery services. You’ll get to choose a car that fits your style and budget, with options ranging from the newer models of the Chevy Cruze and Malibu to the all-electric Bolt.

One advantage to Maven is that all of the insurance (besides the deductible), maintenance, and (best of all) roadside assistance is included in the weekly rates. The rental also offers unlimited mileage so that you can use it for professional and personal driving. Even better, if you choose the Chevy Bolt EV, you won’t have to pay for fuel; Maven is, for a limited time, offering free charging on all their Chevy Bolt rentals. The program also boasts no early return penalty, allowing you to return the car at any time after seven days.

The big advantage with Maven is that you are not limited to driving just for Lyft.

 

HyreCar

HyreCar gives you the opportunity to rent someone’s unused car for a fee. HyreCar also offers rental length flexibility with rental periods as short as two days. You must already be an approved Lyft or Uber driver to rent a car for rideshare driving through HyreCar. You will have to pass a separate background check through HyreCar. The background check cost is $29.95.

Similar to maven, you can also drive for other services with a HyreCar vehicle.

 

If You Already Have A Car, Make Money Renting It Out

If you already have a car, and are looking to rent it out you can do so on HyreCar, and through the companies below.

Getaround

Getaround partners with Uber to offer rental vehicles through the Uber driver app. However, it’s become a popular place for drivers to rent out a personal vehicle they don’t use all the time.

 

Turo

Turo is another option for renting out your personal vehicle.

 

Take Advantage of Lyft Car Rental Services

If you’re looking for a straightforward car rental service that will give you the opportunity to Drive With Lyft, Lyft Express Drive will provide you with a rental car along with an integrated system for easy payments, rewards, and information. You’ll have access to all of your driver data and car rental information in one simple application for optimal convenience.

Maven is a good backup option if Lyft Express Drive doesn’t have any available vehicles in your area.

HyreCar is a great choice if you’re looking for a short term rental for rideshare. It’s also helpful if you’re thinking of purchasing a car for driving Uber or Lyft, and want to test out a few different models.