In early April, we notified customers in New York City and Chicago that we are making a change to the vehicle eligibility of Tesla Model Y’s and removing them from Lyft Black in those two markets. We’re constantly working to improve the Lyft experience, and this decision is the result of both data and feedback from our community. Specifically, we saw noticeably high cancellation rates with Tesla Model Ys in these specific markets, creating frustration for both riders and drivers. 

When we launched Lyft Black, we set out to offer a more premium mode on the platform that would make every ride feel luxurious. This change will help ensure we are meeting the high standards our riders expect from Lyft Black. 

Starting June 30th, Tesla Model Y vehicles will no longer be eligible for Lyft Black in New York City and Chicago. This change only affects these two markets—everywhere else stays the same.

We're always listening to feedback from our community, and in New York City and Chicago, we heard directly and indirectly from riders that Model Y vehicles did not meet their expectations for a Lyft Black experience. Due to this, we decided to remove the Model Y vehicle from our Black program in Chicago and New York City markets. This change is not made lightly, but is needed to align with the evolving Black experience. 

There are millions of rides each day that give us data to help build on the Lyft experience. Data in these specific markets signaled a significant disconnect in rider’s expectations of a Black ride and being matched with the Tesla Model Y. 

Not at this time. We're always evaluating how to make things better for both riders and drivers, but right now this change is specific to New York City and Chicago. If anything changes elsewhere, we'll give you plenty of heads up.

Drivers in New York City and Chicago got a 60-day notice back on April 2nd. We know change isn't easy, but we try to give you as much time as possible to plan ahead. In response to feedback, we also extended this notice to June 30th.

We messed up—drivers outside these markets got the message by mistake due to an in-app error. We're really sorry about the confusion and frustration this caused. If this happened to you, we're working to make it right.

Good news! Your Tesla partnership perks aren't going anywhere. You'll still get that $1,000 bonus after completing 100 rides, plus all the other incentives. Our partnership with Tesla is completely separate from this Black program change.

Absolutely! Model Y vehicles are still welcome on the Lyft platform for both standard and Extra Comfort modes where available and drivers are eligible. This change only affects Black rides in those two specific markets.  

Extra Comfort is one of our fastest growing modes and drivers earn more on Extra Comfort rides than Standard rides. Extra Comfort riders pay more for clean cars, high-quality service, quieter rides, and help with luggage - which make Tesla Model Ys a perfect match.

If you're driving Model Y for Black outside of New York City and Chicago, you can keep doing what you're doing. However, in some markets we're not onboarding new Model Y vehicles to Black (though existing drivers will remain eligible with no immediate changes planned).

Reach out to driver support through the app, and they'll be able to help with any specific questions about how this affects your account or earnings.