Empower Takes On New York: Rideshare Wars are Heating Up in America's Largest City. A new report from Obi analyzed 7,876,228 associated ride offers and reveals growing consumer demand for cheaper rideshare alternatives in New York City. The upstart rideshare service Empower is undercutting industry leaders Uber and Lyft on pricing by an average of nearly 30%, according to a new report from Obi, the global real-time aggregator for rideshare prices. Empower, which uses a driver subscription model instead of a commission structure, is currently operating without a Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) license in New York City and faces mounting regulatory scrutiny. NYC officials have alleged the company is operating illegally and is avoiding fees and surcharges required of licensed operators. Obi's analysis suggests those avoided fees may contribute significantly to Empower's pricing advantage: Currently, the average Empower ride in New York is roughly $32 per trip, compared to $40-46 for Uber, Lyft, and yellow cab hailing app Curb. Download the full report below. The report, "Empower Takes On New York: Rideshare Wars are Heating Up in America's Largest City," analyzed 7,876,228 associated ride offers as well as receipt data, taken from within the Obi app in New York City. The findings suggest that NYC riders are increasingly prioritizing lower fares and predictable pricing as rideshare costs continue to rise. "New York riders are clearly searching for alternatives as rideshare prices continue climbing," said Ashwini Anburajan, CEO at Obi. "The data shows Empower has tapped into two frustrations simultaneously: riders feel they're paying too much, and drivers feel they're earning too little." Additional findings in the report include: * Empower riders take the longest trips on average - more than 7 miles per ride - while still paying significantly less per mile than competing services. * Empower drivers keep a larger share of fares, with Obi's receipt analysis showing drivers retain roughly 94% of fare and tip revenue (before any subscription costs) compared to about 82% on Uber and Lyft. * Pickup times remain competitive, with Empower averaging just 9 seconds slower than Uber despite being substantially cheaper. * Consumer loyalty is strengthening, with 70-80% of daily Empower users appearing to be repeat riders by the end of Q1. ABOUT OBI Obi is a global real-time aggregator that compares millions of pricing and pick-up (ETA) data points, providing consumers and businesses with actionable insights. The free Obi app allows riders to compare all the major rideshare providers, taxis and black cars instantly. With over 1,500,000 users, the Obi app is available in over 175 countries, providing global price transparency for riders. The app is available for free download on iOS and Android at rideobi.com. May 20, 2026

Empower, a rideshare platform offering drivers more control over earnings, has launched in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth in April. The company now operates in eight US metro areas. Empower claims its rides cost 20% less than Uber and Lyft on average. Unlike traditional rideshare companies, Empower charges drivers a subscription fee of $14.99 weekly or $29.99 monthly in Houston, but allows them to set their own rates and keep 100% of fare earnings. In contrast, Lyft caps its commission at 30% of monthly passenger payments. Founded in 2019, Empower claims to have provided 20 million rides to over 600,000 riders. However, the company faces ongoing legal challenges in Washington DC, where regulators have issued a cease-and-desist order over licensing requirements.