Minnesota: Empower is Coming Soon

Washington, D.C. – Following the Minneapolis City Council’s override of Mayor Jacob Frey’s veto of Ordinance 2024-00146, Empower announced that it is preparing to make its software and services available to drivers in Minnesota on or before May 1, 2024.

“Empower is happy that the Minneapolis City Council stood up against the pressure from Uber and Lyft and instead chose to stand with hard-working drivers. While we don’t believe Uber and Lyft will actually leave and let drivers work for themselves without a fight, Empower will make its software and services available to drivers in the Twin Cities on or before May 1, 2024,” said Joshua Sear, CEO of Empower, a peer-to-peer alternative to Uber and Lyft.

Prior to the vote to override, Empower made clear to lawmakers that Empower is ready and fully capable of providing the software and support services needed to facilitate every ride in Minneapolis that would otherwise be provided by Uber and Lyft.

Sear shared, “Empower has built a solution that is better for drivers, riders and cities.” Empower’s software enables drivers, who wish to work for themselves, to set their own rates and get 100% of the fare. Over the past 3+ years, drivers who have chosen to work for themselves using Empower’s software have provided nearly five million rides to over 200,000 riders in the D.C. metro area.

Sear added, “In the past two weeks alone, drivers in D.C. using Empower have provided over 100,000 rides to over 25,000 riders. Nearly 1,000 drivers in the Minneapolis metro area have already signed up to use Empower and tens of thousands have signed up across the country in anticipation of Empower providing its software and support services in their communities.

“Empower looks forward to working with lawmakers and other interested parties to help ensure that its customers comply with any requirements that policy makers believe should apply to the thousands of hard-working drivers who wish to build a better future for their families by working for themselves, instead of for giant transportation companies like Uber and Lyft.”

 Empower CEO Joshua Sear is available for interviews and can be contacted at PR@DriveEmpower.com.

About Empower

Empower is disrupting companies like Uber and Lyft with an innovative model: drivers set their own rates, keep 100% of the fare and pay the company a subscription fee. With Empower, drivers are neither employees nor contractors; they’re customers. Under this model, drivers are making thousands of dollars more per month than they did with Uber or Lyft, which only pay them about 50-60% of what Uber and Lyft’s customers pay the companies. In addition to making more money, drivers using Empower are truly their own boss and are provided with the software and support services they need to build and run their own businesses.

Riders who book rides through Empower benefit as well. Because drivers get 100% of the fare, on average, they charge riders 15-20% less than Uber and Lyft charge them. Riders can also request a same-gender or favorite driver, which many riders have said provides them with a greater sense of safety.

Empower is currently available in the Washington D.C., New York City, and Winston Salem / Greensboro metro areas. To learn more about Empower visit www.driveempower.com