The Tesla Model Y is powering a new Tampa-based rideshare company known as Dash, with the first rides starting this week.
For as little as $2 a ride, Dash, an acronym for Downtown Area Shared Hubs, will start picking up riders this Thursday across seven Tampa neighborhoods.
The Florida city is surrounded by several notable towns and is located on the Gulf of Mexico, making it a popular spot for tourists and temporary visitors but also an ideal place to live.
Rideshare companies are taking advantage of visitors and locals by launching numerous efforts in cities across the United States. In New York, there is Revel, and in Tampa, there is Dash.
Just like Revel, Dash will utilize a fleet of Tesla Model Y all-electric crossovers driven by “driver-ambassadors,” who are trained as guides, according to the Tampa Downtown Partnership. The Tampa Bay Times added that Dash will officially launch operations on a part-time basis starting Thursday, with full-time rideshare services being offered on Friday.
“We wanted to make sure this new way to get around Downtown is just as distinctive as the other transportation options it’ll be joining,” Shaun Drinkard, Interim President of the Tampa Downtown Partnership. “When you think about the streetcar with its classic look, or a colorful e-bike or scooter, or the swords on the side of the Pirate Water Taxi, we know DASH’s bright yellow Teslas will be a great addition.”
All-electric rideshare options are becoming more relevant and sought after in today’s world due to many consumers wanting to reduce carbon emissions. Smaller companies like Dash and Revel are operating in large cities but are usually exclusive to a specific region. While Revel operates out of New York City, it drives in a variety of boroughs, and expanded to Brooklyn, for example, last year.
However, other large rideshare companies, like Uber and Lyft, are also getting in on the action by helping drivers obtain EVs and giving riders the option to choose an electric vehicle specifically.
This is available in certain regions, and Uber Green was something I used during recent trips to Ocean City and Las Vegas.
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