Weekly Roundup: Lyft EVP Jeremy Bird Addresses Driver Earnings, Autonomous Vehicles, and Future Investment Opportunities

Lyft’s Jeremy Bird addresses driver earnings on “Show Me The Money Club.” Uber partners with Nvidia and Stellantis to deploy robotaxis. Uber CEO predicts human driving will be illegal in 20+ years. New report reveals 90% of deactivated drivers never get reinstated. Waymo faces protests in Seattle as drivers fight back against robotaxi expansion. We break it all down for you.

Lyft EVP Jeremy Bird Addresses Driver Earnings, Autonomous Vehicles, and Future Investment Opportunities

SOURCE – Show Me The Money Club podcast interview with Jeremy Bird, Executive Vice President of Driver Experience at Lyft (October 28, 2025)

Lyft EVP of Driver Experience Jeremy Bird joined RSG Senior Contributors Sergio Avedian and Chris Gerace on “Show Me The Money Club” to discuss Lyft’s latest driver experience improvements. The wide-ranging conversation covered newly announced platform features, including stackable bonuses, one-minute wait time pay, and customizable ride challenges. Bird defended Lyft’s 70/30 earnings guarantee amid driver skepticism, explained how California’s SB371 insurance reform will save the company $200 million starting January 2026, and engaged in substantive dialogue about robotaxi integration. Here were some highlights from the interview:

• Inflation vs. Earnings Debate: Sergio asked Jeremy whether driver earnings have kept pace with 35-38% inflation over five years, citing community concerns that increased driver hours reflect lower fares rather than platform growth. Bird responded that Lyft focuses on net income through three strategies: increasing rider demand, ensuring fair payment distribution via the earnings commitment, and reducing driver costs through the rewards program, with over 330,000 drivers now in Lyft Rewards tiers earning 2.9 billion points since summer 2025.

• Autonomous Vehicle Strategy: Bird acknowledged AVs are “happening now” in markets like San Francisco and Austin, not a distant future concern, while maintaining that Lyft envisions a “hybrid future” where human drivers remain critical to the platform. He expressed genuine openness to entrepreneurial opportunities where drivers could invest in AV fleets, comparing it to Flex Drive operations where 30-50% of fleet management staff are former drivers, and enthusiastically engaged with Sergio’s “Mobility Investment Trust” (MIT) concept for pooled driver ownership of autonomous vehicles.

• Equity and Financial Literacy: Sergio proposed converting Lyft rewards points into discounted restricted stock units (RSUs) to create genuine driver partnership and loyalty, arguing drivers deserve to “share in the wealth” since Lyft stock has doubled over the past year. Bird, who grew up in a trailer park with minimal financial education, agreed that financial literacy initiatives are critical for economic mobility and expressed openness to exploring programs that create real stakeholder relationships with drivers, though he didn’t commit to specific RSU implementation details.

Uber Partners with Nvidia and Stellantis to Deploy 100,000 Robotaxis Starting 2027

SOURCE – Bloomberg

Uber announced a partnership with Nvidia and Stellantis to deploy 100,000 robotaxis powered by Nvidia’s DRIVE AGX Hyperion 10 platform beginning in 2027, which the companies claim is one of the largest robotaxi fleet initiatives globally. Stellantis will be among the first manufacturers to deliver at least 5,000 Nvidia-powered robotaxis for Uber’s operations in the U.S. and internationally starting in 2028, with vehicles based on the company’s K0 medium van and STLA Small platforms.

• The partnership also includes contract manufacturer Foxconn and leverages a joint AI data factory using Nvidia’s Cosmos platform to support the global expansion.

• The 100,000-vehicle target includes the previously announced acquisition of 20,000 Lucid Gravity and Nuro vehicles that Uber committed to purchasing and operating with various partners over six years, suggesting the actual number of operational robotaxis by 2027.

• Separately, Nvidia announced partnerships with Mercedes-Benz and Lucid to introduce Level 4 autonomy in luxury vehicles, and Uber is already partnering with Waymo to manage Alphabet’s autonomous fleet in Austin

Uber CEO Predicts All Cars Will Be Autonomous in 20+ Years

SOURCE – Business Insider

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi stated in an interview with Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner that all cars will be autonomous in “20 plus years,” predicting that the skill of driving will become “something like horseback riding.” Khosrowshahi argued that as autonomous technology matures, humans will be demonstrably less safe than robots, raising what he called “a real question that societies are gonna ask themselves” about whether humans should be allowed to drive on public roads.

• Khosrowshahi emphasized that autonomous vehicles must meet higher safety standards than humans because “there’s much less permissiveness for machines to make those kinds of mistakes, especially if those mistakes lead to fatality.” The Uber CEO also expects the shift to autonomous vehicles will lead to a decline in private car ownership and an increase in shared mobility services.

AALDEF Report Reveals Uber and Lyft Deactivate Drivers Without Notice or Effective Appeals

SOURCE – Documented NY

A new Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) report analyzing nearly 350 surveys of deactivated NYC drivers found that 70% of Uber drivers and 76% of Lyft drivers were deactivated without any prior notice, and more than 90% who appealed remained permanently locked out of their accounts. The study revealed that deactivated drivers were largely long-time, high-performing workers with excellent ratings and no records of misconduct who were suddenly locked out without warning, evidence, or opportunity to defend themselves.

• AALDEF’s analysis showed 95% of surveyed drivers identified as people of color, with Asian drivers comprising nearly 69% of respondents, highlighting what the organization calls a “racialized pattern of economic exclusion”.

• Of drivers who successfully contested their deactivations, only 5% of Uber drivers and 2% of Lyft drivers were reinstated, with appeals reviewed but rarely resulting in reactivation.

• The report found that 88% of surveyed drivers purchased their vehicles specifically for ridesharing, and 69% reported continuing to pay vehicle-related expenses (maintenance, insurance, loans) even after deactivation.

Waymo Faces Labor Protests in Seattle Over Robotaxi Expansion

SOURCE – KOMO News

Uber announced it is rebranding its low-emission “Uber Green” ride option to “Uber Electric” and will offer U.S. drivers up to $4,000 in incentives to switch to electric vehicles through partnerships with automakers and leasing companies. The rebrand aims to make EVs more prominent and accessible to riders while accelerating driver adoption of zero-emission vehicles.

• The $4,000 incentive can be applied toward EV purchases or leases, with Uber partnering with manufacturers like General Motors and Hertz to provide access to discounted electric vehicles.

• Uber Electric rides will cost riders roughly the same as standard UberX fares in most markets, removing the premium pricing that previously made Green rides less attractive to price-sensitive customers.

• The move comes despite ongoing concerns from drivers about insufficient public charging infrastructure, particularly in markets like New York City, where wait times at chargers can significantly reduce earning potential.

Is Uber Charging American Express Passengers More for Rides?

SOURCE – YouTube Shorts

A social media user reported discovering that Uber may be charging higher fares to passengers who pay with American Express cards. Learn more by watching the YouTube Short!

QUICK HITS

• Grocery delivery company Instacart is partnering with GrubHub to offer grocery delivery through its app. – Progressive Grocer

• Uber is investing $200 million over five years into a software and technology development center in Istanbul, Turkey. – Yahoo Finance

• Growing numbers of women report feeling safer riding in robotaxis than with human drivers. – Fox 10 Phoenix

• Want to learn more about the robotaxi industry? Subscribe to The Driverless Digest, our new newsletter and podcast dedicated to the future of autonomous vehicles.

Must Listen Or Watch RSG Content

Here are this week’s featured podcast episode and YouTube videos:

• RSG266: Tower Mobility: The Uber Partner Paying Drivers $25/Hour + Benefits

• Uber’s ‘AI Side Hustle’ for Drivers?

• This Driver Shares His Tips For Success With Roadie XD

• Is Uber’s Upfront Fare Algorithm Is Shortchanging Drivers?

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