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Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. Photo by Bloomberg.

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Rising Gas Prices Threaten Uber, Lyft, DoorDash

By Martin Peers · March 10, 2022 5:00 PM PST

Can Uber and Lyft ever catch a break? Just when investors might have thought it was safe to wade back into the ride-hailing waters, thanks to the decline of Omicron, gas prices take off. That’s going to raise fuel costs for drivers—including those working for both ride-hailing services and food-delivery operations like DoorDash—probably causing... Can Uber and Lyft ever catch a break? Just when investors might have thought it was safe to wade...

An Uber driver. Photo by Bloomberg

Uber and Lyft Face Pivotal Week: The Information’s Tech Briefing

By Martin Peers · Aug. 14, 2020 5:17 PM PDT · 2 comments

The coming week is pivotal for Uber and Lyft. That’s when they are likely to hear the results of their request to postpone a judge’s ruling that they immediately reclassify their drivers in California as employees, rather than independent contractors, until an appeals court can hear the case.If the appeals court says the ruling must... The coming week is pivotal for Uber and Lyft. That’s when they are likely to hear the...

The ride-hailing firms' logos on a car. Photo by Shutterstock

Virus Lockdowns Pose Serious Threat to Lyft, Uber

By Amir Efrati · March 16, 2020 7:17 PM PDT · 4 comments

There’s little doubt that the coronavirus crisis will eventually subside. But it’s not as certain that the two major ride-hailing giants will survive the pandemic in their current form—particularly if it persists for more than a couple of months.Stock traders seem to think that Lyft, in particular, faces the biggest question... There’s little doubt that the coronavirus crisis will eventually subside. But it’s...

New York governor Andrew Cuomo. Photo by Bloomberg

Uber, Lyft Brace for New York’s Version of Gig Worker Law

By Kevin Dugan · Feb. 13, 2020 10:01 AM PST · 3 comments

New York governor Andrew Cuomo. Photo by Bloomberg

policy uber/lyft

Uber, Lyft Brace for New York’s Version of Gig Worker Law

By Kevin Dugan · Feb. 13, 2020 10:01 AM PST · 3 comments

California sparked a national debate about the rights of gig workers with last year’s passage of a landmark law that required companies like Uber and DoorDash to treat their drivers as employees, entitled to certain benefits and protections, rather than contractors. Now that debate is shifting to New York state, where the outcome could... California sparked a national debate about the rights of gig workers with last year’s...

Photo by Bloomberg.

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What Lyft and Uber Are Really Worth

By Amir Efrati and Jessica Toonkel · April 17, 2019 6:31 AM PDT · 6 comments

With the 20% plunge from its offering price since its IPO, Lyft joins a large group of big-name tech IPOs that have slumped out of the gate, including Facebook, LinkedIn and Etsy. One of the big questions now is whether Lyft turns out to be like Facebook or Etsy, whose stock recovered and eventually turned into a winner, or like Blue Apron whose... With the 20% plunge from its offering price since its IPO, Lyft joins a large group of big-name...

Photo by Bloomberg

Lyft Kicks Off Price War With Uber Ahead of IPOs

By Amir Efrati · Feb. 25, 2019 4:56 PM PST · 38 comments

As Uber and Lyft prepare to go public, both companies are reviving an old and costly tactic to boost market share: discounts.Lyft, which is likely to be first to hit the public market, sharply ramped up discounts for riders in recent weeks, according to people close to both companies. The discounts covered as many as a third of its trips,... As Uber and Lyft prepare to go public, both companies are reviving an old and costly tactic to...

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Lyft founders John Zimmer and Logan Green. Photo by Bloomberg.

How Lyft’s Missteps Killed Its Chances of Overtaking Uber

By Amir Efrati · May 3, 2018 7:00 AM PDT · 2 comments

If there were ever a time when Lyft had a chance to catch up with Uber, it was last year. A constant barrage of negative publicity, including a #deleteUber social media movement, offered Lyft a gift in terms of picking up business.But while Lyft made some gains, it still finished the year with just 30% of the market, in terms of revenue, far... If there were ever a time when Lyft had a chance to catch up with Uber, it was last year. A...

An Uber vehicle in New York City in 2018. Photo: Bloomberg

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Virus Cuts Uber, Lyft Ride Business by More Than 50%

By Amir Efrati · April 2, 2020 11:58 AM PDT · 2 comments

The ride-hailing businesses of Uber and Lyft have shrunk by more than half in recent weeks compared with a year ago as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to people at the companies with knowledge of the figures. The overall contraction could worsen for both companies as the pandemic’s toll grows and more people stay... The ride-hailing businesses of Uber and Lyft have shrunk by more than half in recent weeks...

Source: Second Measure Data

U.S. Slowdown at Uber and Lyft

By Amir Efrati · Sept. 12, 2018 10:01 AM PDT · 2 comments

The once-hot ride-hailing business is cooling down—just as the two biggest players are thinking about going public.Revenue growth rates for the U.S. ride-hailing businesses of Uber and Lyft slowed this summer to their lowest point in years, according to research firm Second Measure, which tracks credit and debit card transactions. Growth... The once-hot ride-hailing business is cooling down—just as the two biggest players are...

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