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Doordash buys Caviar

Lyft E-Bikes Are a Hot Topic in San Fran and DoorDash Buys Caviar

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This past week, DoorDash gobbles up the competition, a new report shows that 25% of food delivery drivers eat their customer’s food, and Lyft sets San Francisco on fire … literally.

This Week in Mobility ― August 9, 2019

San Francisco to Open Applications for Scooter Pilot Program

The city of San Francisco is making quite a few headlines this week as it opens up applications for its electric scooter pilot program.

The city currently operates a highly successful electric scooter program using two operators: Scoot and Skip. However, both of those companies’ permits expire in October.

That’s why they’re opening applications now. Though Bird, Lyft, and Jump didn’t make the cut the first time around, the current round of applications is due on August 21.

With a highly successful pilot so far and complications with Lyft e-bikes catching on fire in the city (see below), it’s likely that Skip and Scoot will have their permits renewed. Since Bird acquired Scoot a couple of months back, it’s likely they won’t even apply.

San Francisco is a perfect place for scooter operators to test their products. Riders in the California city average about 3,400 trips per day. Scoot’s program has gone well, while Skip had a couple of scooter fires in Washington, DC, and pulled their rides off the street there.

Is it possible that Skip and Scoot will be booted out? Probably not. Though Jump, Lime, and Lyft make formidable competitors.

New Zealand Cantina Opens UberEats Ghost Restaurant

What started as a rumor was proved to be true as UberEats customers in New Zealand tried to connect the dots between Coco’s Cantina and Pronto Pasta.

Coco’s Cantina has been an Auckland staple for years. The restaurant prides itself on serving good food (no takeout), thumbing its nose at big business, and being a popular gathering place among area hipsters.

That’s why Coco’s fans were flabbergasted when they realized Pronto Pasta was actually an UberEats ghost restaurant owned by the same chefs. Ghost restaurants are popping up all over the world, as former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick opened CloudKitchen. These commercial kitchens prepare meals only for delivery, meaning less staff, less expensive real estate, and less overhead.

As competition in the food delivery market heats up, we may see the traditional sit-down restaurant go the way of yesterday’s leftovers. Until then, expect to see more ghost restaurants popping up in a city near you.

DoorDash Buys Competitor Caviar for $410M

Even though DoorDash is already one of the top three food delivery services, news broke last week that the controversial delivery service is buying their competitor Caviar for about $410 million.

The deal will combine cash and stock, but the exact details are still unclear. Now we know why DoorDash raised $400 million in cash back in March.

Caviar is currently owned by Square, who has been trying to sell Caviar for quite a long time. Square CEO and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey said they are excited about the acquisition.

While DoorDash is clearly on top of its game, the fact that no one wanted to buy it three years ago seems like there’s something amiss behind the scenes. Either way, DoorDash, and Caviar together will bring them even closer to staying on top.

Lyft Ebikes Catch Fire in San Francisco City Streets

While Lyft is trying to catch the eye of San Francisco to win a coveted spot in their electric scooter pilot, it’s unclear if they meant to catch a couple of bikes on fire in the process.

On July 27 and 31, two Lyft e-bikes erupted into flames, and the company immediately halted its bike-share program until an investigation is completed. Given the fact that the program only started two weeks prior, things aren’t looking good for Lyft.

In defense of Lyft, they are not the only company with similar problems. Scooter company Skip had to shut down a similar program in Washington, DC, when a couple of electric scooters also burst into flames. Both companies are looking at the batteries as the cause of the problem.

Is Your Food Delivery Driver Eating Your Dinner?

As if flaming bikes and scooters weren’t strange enough, our last piece comes from a survey released last week. It shows that 28% of food delivery drivers are munching on customer’s orders as they make their deliveries.

The US Foods survey asked 1,500 food delivery app users and 500 drivers a battery of questions. 21% of customers suspected drivers took food from their orders, while 28% of drivers admitted to stealing food. Another interesting fact? 85% of customers stated they want restaurants to use tamper-evident labels to ensure their food doesn’t disappear.

It’s not surprising that drivers snag food while on the run, but keep in mind that the survey results are somewhat skewed. They surveyed three times as many customers (1,500) than drivers (500.) Still, it may be nice to get your food delivery without any bite marks in it.

 

limebike dockless bikes

Quick Guide To Lime And Lime Scooters

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LimeBike made waves with its launch in 2017 as one of the very first bikeshare ventures in the United States. Building on the model of rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft, they offer simpler and more affordable modes of in-city transportation. While their name seems to be everywhere (the company shortened it to Lime in 2018), not many people actually know the specifics of the company or the opportunities it offers. If you fall into this category, here’s everything you need to know about Lime and their services.

What Is Lime (And LimeBikes and Lime Scooters)?

LimeBikes are simply grab-and-go style bike rentals that you use for a small fee. With a dockless system, riders can locate available bikes in their area, unlock them for their journey, and then simply leave them at their destination. This process is convenient as well as affordable. However, Lime’s bikes are being phased out in favor of scooters, which have become far more popular.

For now, there are two styles of LimeBikes available: Smart Bikes and E-Assist.

Smart Bikes are traditional, pedal-powered bikes that are integrated into the company’s smart app system. Lime offers three variations of Smart Bikes: one-speed, three-speed (shown below), and eight-speed.

Limebike rental 3 speed

 

Electric Assist (or Lime-E) bikes, on the other hand, offer a boost of electric power. While you’ll still pedal, the battery increases your power and makes it easier to bike around the city. In fact, the Lime-E bikes can reach speeds of up to 14.8 mph.

If you want to try an actual Limebike, you should do it soon, as the company is phasing out bikes, in favor of scooters.

What Are Lime Scooters?

Known as the Lime-S (shown below), Lime Bike scooters are designed to make it even easier to get around a city with fast travel speeds and affordable costs. Riders can rent the scooters in the same manner as LimeBikes, but since they’re electric, there’s no manual labor involved.

Lime Bike Lime-S Scooter

 

Where Is Lime Available?

Lime is rapidly increasing their service areas. Currently, their main focus is on cities and college campuses. The states they’re operating in include:

  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Florida
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Missouri
  • New York
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • Texas
  • Washington
  • Washington D.C.

Their biggest operating area is California, and some states only offer the service in one or two major cities. Also, Lime-S isn’t available in all of the cities that currently offer LimeBike. However, the company is working to expand their service area quickly.

How Much Do LimeBike Rentals Cost?

LimeBike rentals are incredibly affordable. There’s a standard rate for each bike and scooter rental, but exact costs for each electric model vary by city. Here’s a breakdown of their pricing model:

  • Smart Bikes: Manual LimeBikes cost $1 for every 30 minutes of use. If you’re a student, professor, or staff member of a college or university, you only have to pay 50 cents for each half hour. To qualify for this discount, you need to set up your Lime rider account with a valid .edu email address.
  • Electric Assist Bikes: Lime’s electric assist bikes charge a $1 base cost with an additional fee for each minute of usage. The per-minute charge varies by location, but on average, it ends up at around 15 cents.
  • Lime-S: For Lime’s electric scooters, you’ll experience a pricing formula similar to the electric LimeBikes. There’s an initial fee of $1 to unlock the scooter, and then you’ll be charged a location-specific rate for every minute of use.

The company offers a special pricing program for frequent riders. LimePrme is a monthly pay tier that allows you to pay $29.95 for around $100 of LimeBike credits. College and university faculty can purchase a LimePrime membership for $14.95. However, this service is only available for traditional, pedal LimeBikes and not their electric counterparts or scooters.

You can use our LimeBike promo code – R2WAI74 – to get $3 in ride credits when you sign up. Click the button below to download the Limebike app and get started with your free Limebike rides.

Join LimeBike

 

How to Rent a LimeBike

Limebike escooter rental start screen

Renting a LimeBike or Lime-S scooter is even easier than requesting an Uber or Lyft. You’ll need to first download the Lime app from the iTunes store or Google Play.  After you open the app, it’ll request that you sign up for the service, and then you’ll be able to enter your payment information.

Limebike Smart Bike Rental - Payment Entry

To rent a LimeBike or scooter, you’ll need to find a bike on the map. Your current position is designated with a little blue dot while rentals in the area are identifiable by the green Lime logo.

Limebike E-Assist Map

Choose a nearby option and walk to it. Once you’ve arrived, you will scan the QR code on the back of the LimeBike seat or on the scooter’s handlebar. This step unlocks the vehicle and you can begin your journey. Here’s a short video that shows how to rent a LimeBike scooter.

The app will track your time, distance, location, and cost in real-time, so you’ll always know what your total expense is. When you’ve reached your destination, you simply park the bike or scooter in a safe location. For bikes, you’ll move the lock lever on the back tire to reset it. For scooters, you’ll click “Lock” on the app screen. You’ll see your total charges and trip summary on the app’s screen, so be sure to double-check that the cost is correct.

Everything You Need to Know About LimeBike Juicers

After launching their electric scooter service, the company needed assistance with recharging their equipment for the next day. This has created a new type of LimeBike job position, known as a “juicer.” Learn more about this side hustle and how you can benefit from it, below.

What Is a LimeBike Juicer?

LimeBike juicers drive around their service area to collect scooters for charging. They then take the scooters home and charge them overnight for a fee. For this particular LimeBike job, you’ll operate as an independent contractor, which means you have more freedom than a conventional position.

How To Be A Limebike Juicer

How Much Do Lime Bike Juicers Make?

Lime pays their juicers for each scooter they charge. This fee varies by area, but you’ll know the total payment available when you click the scooter on your in-app map. On average, you can expect to earn around $5 per charge. Initially, the company will provide you with three chargers, but you can feasibly charge more than three machines per night. They only require the scooters to reach a 95 percent charge before considering the job completed.

The more well-charged machines will take one to two hours to charge, while those with less juice need around five to seven hours. If you pick up six Lime Bike scooters — three that are mostly charged and three with a nearly depleted charge, you could potentially earn $30 or more per night.

How to Become a LimeBike Juicer

To join the LimeBike juicer community, you simply need to sign up on their website. For this process, you’ll provide personal information, contact information, and your vehicle type. The company requires each juicer to have a vehicle available to them to transport the scooters, such as a car, SUV, truck, or minivan. After reviewing your application, a member of the Lime team will contact you over the phone or through email. This conversation provides all of the information you need to know about the charging process and what the company expects from you as a juicer.

Once approved, you’ll be able to turn on “Juicer” mode in your LimeBike app. After 8 p.m., you can begin collecting scooters in your area and start charging them. The app will provide you a general area to drop off each scooter in the morning. All Lime-S equipment must be charged and placed back into the community by 7 a.m. After you’ve dropped off the scooter, you’ll click “Served” on the app and instantly see how much you’ve made.

The Future of LimeBikes and Lime-S Electric Scooters

LimeBikes and scooters make in-city travel convenient and affordable, but they also offer a money-making opportunity for locals. As the company expands, they’ll need more and more LimeBike juicers to keep up with demand. If you’re looking for a quick way to complement your income, scooter rental services, like Lime and Bird, provide a fantastic opportunity to earn money with minimal effort. Have you used LimeBike or Lime-S yet? We want to know how it went!

If Limebike isn’t in your area yet, you can request it here.

Lime Rover Week In On Demand

Roving International, Lime Fires, Hyrecar Nabs Park – This Week In On Demand

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This Week In On Demand – Nov. 2, 2018

It’s been another big week for the gig economy. From canine-themed acquisitions to rideshare subscription services, here’s what’s happening in on-demand industries this week.

Rover Acquires DogBuddy While Wag! Announces New Hires

The battle of the canines is in full swing. On Wednesday, Rover announced their purchase of DogBuddy, a U.K.-based dog-sitting service available in multiple markets throughout Europe.

It’s the first big purchase the dog-sitting company has made since their latest round of funding, which accumulated a $155 million investment total. The move also comes after Rover announced their expansion to the U.K. By purchasing DogBuddy, the company now has instant access to an already-successful European market.

While Rover expands its empire, their biggest competitor, Wag!, is expanding its team. The U.S.-based dog-walking company announced two new hires late last week.

Formally associated with Highfive, Twitter, and Yahoo!, Cilia Poon takes the role as chief financial officer. For general counsel, Wag! has brought in Craig Gatarz, who previously served as executive vice president at The Honest Company.

In combination with their latest $300 million investment round, these leadership moves are likely a signal of upcoming changes, possibly a service expansion, acquisition, or an IPO target date announcement.

Lime Hires Chief Business Officer, Announces Election Day Initiative, and Pulls Fire-Hazard Scooters

Lime announced early this week that it’s bringing David Richter on board as the company’s first chief business officer. Previously, Richter spent time at Uber as the global head of business and corporate development.

This strategic move comes as the scooter company moves toward broadening their offerings with car-sharing and retail store locations. Along with building an impressive corporate team, Lime is on the hunt for investors to reach a $3 billion funding goal for their upcoming endeavors.

On Tuesday, the company reported they had pulled an undisclosed number of scooters off the streets because of a potential battery-related fire hazard. All of the models were linked to manufacturer Segway Ninebot and only affected three markets — Lake Tahoe, Los Angeles, and San Diego. This statement came just minutes before the scooter company announced their Election Day initiative. Joining rideshare companies Uber and Lyft, Lime is offering free e-scooter, bikes, and e-bike rides on November 6th.

While the news of battery issues are concerning, it’s not likely to cause substantial impact to the Lime brand. The company’s most recent round of funding totaled $335 million, was led by Google Ventures, and valued the company at $1.1 billion.

That’s somewhat smaller than their main competitor Bird, which is valued at $2 billion. However, Lime’s last funding round included an investment and partnership with Uber, which saw Uber branding added to Lime scooters. Uber customers will also be able to rent a Lime scooter from the Uber app, at some point.

Uber Launches Monthly Subscription Service

Tuesday also brought the news of Uber’s latest incarnation of Ride Pass. The monthly subscription service offers riders access to flat-rate rides throughout the service area. Ranging from $14.99 to $24.99 per month, Ride Pass is currently only available in Austin, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, and Orlando. However, it’s likely to expand rapidly over the next year, as they’ve been testing the service in various other markets for some time.

Uber Ride Pass
While the company has offered multiple versions of Ride Pass in the past, this variation of Ride Pass is a direct response to Lyft’s All-Access Plan. These launches serve not only to boost customer satisfaction and grow loyalty, but they’re also a strategic play to increase their valuations ahead of their 2019 IPOs. Both companies are making new announcements on nearly a weekly basis. Expect to see more product offering announcements, and new app features, before each of their market debuts. Lyft is aiming for a Q1 IPO, while Uber is shooting for Q3.

HyreCar Announces Chief Operating Officer

Wag! isn’t the only company making leadership announcements this week. On Tuesday, HyreCar appointed Henry Park to the role of chief operating officer. Previously the head of marketing and chief operating officer at SearchForce, Park also worked at YP.com as an executive director of traffic acquisition.

HyreCar has had a tough year. The car-sharing company entered the public market in June, but it’s faced an uphill battle after a continuous drop in share prices. The move to bring Park onboard is one of a series of strategic moves to gain back the momentum lost in the last six months. The company also announced a partnership with Shift Technology last week. Such choices mean that HyreCar isn’t going down without a fight. In fact, we shouldn’t be surprised to witness more drastic evolutions and new partnership announcements over the coming months.

It’s been a whirlwind of a week in the on-demand sectors, but now you’re all caught up. Be sure to check back next week to catch the latest happenings affecting the gig economy.

 

rent bird scooters

Quickstart Guide To Bird Scooters: How To Rent And Charge

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Your Thorough Guide to Bird Scooter Rentals

The bikeshare industry is evolving, and electric scooters are an obvious next step in that evolution. There are a few different scooter rental companies that have entered the market in recent months, and one of the most successful is Bird. The company offers opportunities for riders as well as individuals who want to boost their income. Take a closer look at the company, what they offer, and how you can be a part of it, below.

Everything You Need to Know About Bird Scooter Rentals

Bird scooters have grown quickly in popularity, but electric scooter rentals are a very new service. As a result, most people don’t know much about Bird or how their rental services work. Here’s everything you need to know about becoming a Bird scooter rider:

What Are Bird Scooters?

Founded in 2017, Bird specializes in electronic scooter rentals only. Through Bird’s app, riders can locate available scooters in their area and rent them for easy traveling. The equipment is dockless, so you’re able to ride right up to where you’re going and leave the scooter at your destination, instead of finding a charger dock.

How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Bird Scooter?

Bird offers a very straightforward pricing arrangement. There’s an initial $1 fee for each electric scooter rental, and then you’ll pay 15 cents for every minute you use the scooter. Considering the speed and convenience of Bird’s scooter rentals, the combination of base fare and per minute fee results in a highly affordable mode of transportation for short trips.

What Are the Benefits of Bird Scooters?

Electric scooters are a fantastic way to get through your city. Choosing to travel by Bird electric scooter offers many benefits, including:

  • Convenience: The Bird scooter app makes it incredibly easy to find scooters near you, and the unlocking process is quick and painless.
  • Speed: Bird scooters are designed to reach speeds of up to 15 mph, which means you can get where you’re going quickly.
  • Affordability: Bird scooter rentals are also inexpensive. Considering their speed and availability, riders are able to reach the destinations quickly, which keeps their overall costs low.
  • Eco-Friendliness: The scooter rentals are also an eco-friendly transportation option. They run on electricity, which is associated with lower carbon emissions than gas or diesel. The equipment is also designed to operate efficiently, so no energy is wasted.

With so many benefits, foot transportation could become a thing of your past.

Where Are Bird Electric Scooters Available?

The electric scooter rental scene is fairly new, so it’s no surprise that Bird is only available in a few locations. However, the success of their current operation areas is leading the company to expand rapidly. As of today, Bird electric scooters are available in the following cities:

  • Scottsdale
  • Tempe
  • Austin
  • Dallas
  • San Antonio
  • Oakland
  • San Diego
  • San Jose
  • Los Angeles
  • Atlanta
  • Indianapolis
  • Baltimore
  • Charlotte
  • Memphis
  • Salt Lake City
  • Arlington
  • Washington D.C.
  • Milwaukee

As you can see, the majority of their operational centers are in large metropolitan areas. In the near future, you can expect to find Bird in major cities all over the country. Smaller cities and college towns are likely to be in the second round of expansions after Bird enters each state.

How to Rent a Bird Electric Scooter

 

Bird Scooters - Find a Bird Nearby

 

Renting a Bird scooter is fairly easy. First, you need to download the Bird app, which is available on the iTunes store and Google Play. After you open the app, it’ll prompt you to create an account. You’ll also need to enter your payment information before accessing the service. You’ll find this option at the top of the main menu. To get started with a free ride on Bird (up to $5), click the button below.

Join Bird

 

On the main page of the app, you’ll see a map that indicates your position in relation to nearby scooters, or “Birds,” as the company calls them. You’ll also be able to view the current battery level of each scooter before you choose one.

 

Bird Scooters - QR Code Unlock

 

After you’ve located a scooter nearby, you tap the symbol on the screen to choose it. Then you’ll focus your phone camera on the QR code, which is located on the handlebar, to verify the scooter, before hitting “Unlock.” The first time you utilize a Bird scooter rental, the app will also require you to take a picture of your driver’s license.

Once your scooter is rented, it’s time to ride. On the left side of the handlebar, you’ll see the brake handle, and on the right side, a throttle button. To start the system, you’ll use foot power. Three strong pushes will wake up the scooter, and then the rest of the power is provided by the throttle button. Be sure to only operate the scooter in bike lanes and not on sidewalks.

After completing your journey, tap the “Lock” button in the Bird app. You can park the scooter with the kickstand and leave it near the entrance of your destination. It’s best to avoid blocking walkways and sidewalks, so look for a safe location that’s easy to access for other riders.

Everything You Need to Know About Being a Bird Charger

Since Bird’s electric scooters are dockless, they need to be charged regularly. To aid in this effort, the company employs contractors known as “chargers.” Chargers operate as independent contractors and are responsible for Bird scooter charging on a daily basis.

What Bird Chargers Do

Bird chargers utilize the app to locate scooters in their area, and then they collect them for charging. There isn’t a central docking station, so each charger takes the machines home with them to charge overnight. The scooters require a special charger that connects to a standard outlet, but the company will provide these to you once you join their team.

The company sorts scooters throughout a city by creating a “nest,” which is a specific location with expected high demand. After the equipment is charged, the chargers “release” the Birds anywhere in their nest area.

How Much Do Bird Chargers Make?

Bird pays their chargers based on the number of scooters they charge. Each scooter is categorized as either green, yellow, or red, and their charging price varies by category and location. On average, you can expect to make around $5 per fully charged Bird scooter. Once you locate a machine on your app, it’ll tell you how much you’ll make for charging the scooter.

One of the top benefits of working for Bird is their same-day payouts. You’ll be paid the same day for all charged scooters that were freed back to their nest by 7 a.m. After 7 a.m., releases are paid the following business day. Such a quick turnaround only adds to the appeal of the company. Bird does limit each charger to 20 scooters per night.

Bird Charger Requirements

To become a Bird charger, the company requires you to apply. The process isn’t as complicated or thorough as rideshare or delivery companies, but you do need to meet some basic requirements. All Bird chargers must meet the following criteria:

  • Minimum age of 18 years old
  • You need to have a vehicle
  • Live in or near an operation center
  • Charge a minimum of three Birds at a time

Since the company pays out on a daily basis, they require that each charger tackle three machines at once. This choice reduces the company’s overall costs as banks charge them for each transaction.

How to Become a Bird Charger

To apply for this Bird scooter job, you need to visit their charger sign up page. You can also access it through their app through the main menu under “Become a Charger.” Next, you’ll enter your personal and tax information along with your direct deposit information.

 

Become A Bird Charger

 

After you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive a call from the Bird team for a short interview. At this time, they’ll explain the process involved in more detail.

Upon approval, you’ll gain access to charger features in your Bird app. This step allows you to find and “capture” Birds in your area. Once you find them, you’ll scan the QR code in the same manner as you would rent them, and then you’ll load them into your vehicle and take them home for the night. The next morning, you’ll need to drop off the Bird scooters in their nest area (designated by the app) between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m.

Bird Scooters: The Future of Bikeshare

Bikeshare options ruled 2017, and scootershare is sure to take over 2018. At the front of the electric scooter rental pack is Bird, but it’s not the only player in the game. Have you used a scooter rental service yet? If so, which one?

on demand economy - man ringing bell held by robot hand

The State Of The On Demand Economy

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On Demand In 2018: The Arena Is Crowded, But Growing

It’s hard to believe Uber was founded almost a decade (2009) ago. Lyft is a bit younger, but still a six year old company. It’s incredible to think how much these two apps, along with Postmates, Google Express, Instacart, Grubhub, Doordash, and a whole bunch of others, have changed how we get around, and how we shop for food and household items.

The other day, I tried to remember the last time I was in a taxi cab. I couldn’t. Then, I tried to remember the last time I actually called a restaurant to order delivery or take out. Couldn’t remember that either. However, although I used Instacart once, I still generally go to the supermarket myself. Call me old fashioned.

Bikes and Scooters: A New Wrinkle

Besides all the available rideshare and delivery apps, a new type of app has appeared in the last year that looks to further change how we get around – ebike and escooter dockless rental apps. The concept is pretty simple. A user searches for an available ebike or escooter on the app. The app locates a nearby escooter or ebike. The user walks over, unlocks the ebike or escooter using the app, and rides to their desitnation. When they get there, they can just leave the ebike or escooter parked off to the side. Although the field is pretty new, there are already a few major players. It’s likely not all of these companies are going to make it (remember Sidecar).

  • Bird – $115 million in funding, raising an additional $200 million
  • Jump – Already bought by Uber
  • Limebike – $132 million in funding, raising up to an additional $500 million
  • Spin – Originally bikes, recently added an ebike to their offerings – $8 million in funding
  • Skip – $6 million in funding

If that weren’t enough, Lyft is also developing it’s own e-bike/e-scooter service.

So much change in just a few years, and yet, it’s likely only the beginning.

The Next Five Years

Both Lyft and Uber aim to integrate more with municipal transportation systems in the coming years. Uber CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, is aiming to make Uber the “Amazon of transportation“. This is why both companies are moving into the ebike and escooter area. Both eventually aim to become an end to end transportation company. Currently, you can use the Lyft or Uber app to book a Lyft or Uber ride only. Look for e-bike options to be added with a year. Over the next five years, expect Lyft or Uber to try and integrate subway, light rail schedules and external booking into their apps.

On Demand Economy - hands holding phone

2018 is likely to be a year of massive change for the on demand arena, and especially for Uber and Lyft. Although Uber is aiming to go public in late 2019, Lyft may try an IPO in late 2018. Whatever happens, 2018 is likely to be the last year in which all the on demand companies are privately held. Besides the coming IPO’s, there’s also the question of how fast both companies will be able to integrate autonomous vehicles into their fleets.

International Rideshare Players

In the U.S., it’s basically Lyft and Uber. Outside the U.S., it’s a whole different ballgame. Didi cleaned Uber’s clock in China (Uber surrendered, left and took a small stake in Didi.) Grab is dominant in S.E. Asia (Uber sold their s.e. asia business to them recently). In India, Ola is number one, with Uber a distant second. In Europe and Africa, Uber is dominant, but stiff competition is coming.

  • Didi – Dominant in China, operates in Brazil; Planning expansion to Europe, Africa, and the U.S.
  • Ola – Dominant in India
  • Grab – Dominant in S.E. Asia
  • Taxify – European startup, also expanding in Africa – just closed a $175 million funding round led by Daimler Chrysler.
  • Softbank – Japanese conglomerate that has stakes in Uber, Didi, Ola, and Grab. Nobody realizes it, but Softbank is actually the quiet king of rideshare on the planet earth. They also just invested in GM’s self driving car division.

Self-Driving Cars

Autonomous vehicles are coming, but they’re not likely to fully take over the roads in the next five years. Even when they do, they’ll still be a need for drivers (although not as many) However, they will start to become a more common site in the next few years. Virtually every major automaker is a player in this area, and they’re all doing some testing in California. Here’s a quick rundown of who’s doing what and who’s ahead.

  • Waymo (Google subsidiary) – The leader in the field. They have more self driving cars on the road, that have driven more miles, than everyone else on this list combined. One of the ways success is measured in self-driving cars is how long the vehicle can go without a human driver having to intervene. By this metric, Waymo is first by a large margin.
  • Ford – A strong second, but they need more testing.
  • GM – Third, but just got a massive investment from Softbank.
  • Tesla – Tesla gets a lot of hype, but their actual self-driving technology lags behind the three front runners
  • Uber – Overall, their program has been a disaster. They don’t have the funds, or the engineering talent to compete with Google in this area.
  • Lyft – partnering with various companies – no real internal program
  • Daimler-Mercedes, Fiat, Honda, Toyota, BMW and many others – all have testing permits for autonomous vehicles in California.

In all likelihood, both Uber and Lyft will wind up incorporating self-driving cars from Waymo, Ford or GM into their platforms. As it turns out, developing true self-driving vehicles is incredibly difficult, and frankly, beyond the scope of Uber and Lyft’s capabilities. Put another way, Google has unlimited funds, the best self-driving engineering talent in the world, and has been working in the field for six years, and they’re just getting to the point where they can safely put a lot of their self-driving cars on the road. As you can see, the on demand economy is a complicated and crowded arena with a lot of moving parts.

It’ll be interesting to see what everything looks like in 2023.