In its efforts to counteract Uber, General Motors’ ride-sharing partner Lyft announced it introduced in the US a luxury ride program similar with Uber’s Black. The launching of Lyft Premier, an offering aimed towards users looking for a more stylish trip. Passengers choosing the new service will be picked up by a premium sedan or SUV, such as a BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, Lexus ES or Cadillac Escalade. Lyft Premier is initially only available in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, but it is expected to be extended to other cities as well in the coming future. Lyft said this high-end feature was requested by the majority of its users.
Earlier this year, Lyft teamed up with China’s biggest taxi-hailing company Didi Chuxing, so that Didi users were able to use the company’s smartphone application in the US to access Lyft’s fleet. Reuters recently reported that Lyft was looking for a possible sale of the firm or to raise new capital, with sources reveling that GM and Didi consider expanding their stakes in the San Francisco-based startup.