Rideobi

05/22/2026

The NYC rideshare market is shifting — and the data doesn’t lie.

Obi’s exclusive research reveals Empower is now the #1 most-requested rideshare provider in the Obi App, capturing 40% of weekly ride requests in NYC — ahead of Uber (36%), Lyft (21%), and Curb (3%).

The reason? Price.

Empower’s average ride comes in at just $32.12 — nearly 30% cheaper than Uber ($46.23) and Lyft ($44.91). In a city where every dollar counts, riders are voting with their wallets.

The rideshare game in NYC is changing. Are you paying too much for your rides?

🔗 Full report at rideobi.com

05/21/2026

Empower is reshaping NYC's rideshare market — and we have the data to prove it.

Empower doesn't report its trip data to New York City's TLC. That means no regulator, no competitor, and no researcher has visibility into how fast it's growing — except Obi.

We analysed over 7.8 million ride offers and surveyed Empower riders. Something has fundamentally changed — riders have found a cheaper option and drivers have found a better deal.

Access the full report at http://rideobi.com/empower

05/21/2026

New research: Empower is reshaping NYC’s rideshare market — and we have the data to prove it.

Empower doesn’t report its trip data to New York City’s TLC. That means no regulator, no competitor, and no researcher has visibility into how fast it’s growing — except Obi.

Here’s what we found:

Empower captured nearly a third of all NYC ride requests on the Obi app in Q1 2026

Average Empower fare: $32.12 vs $46.23 for Uber — nearly 30% cheaper

Empower drivers keep 94¢ of every dollar vs 82¢ for Uber and Lyft drivers (not including Empower driver subscription fees)

Wait times within 9 seconds of Uber — no trade-off on speed

See the full report at rideobi.com/empower

05/20/2026

NEW EMPOWER REPORT OUT NOW.

Uber and Lyft rewrote New York's taxi market.
Now it may be happening again.

Empower is charging riders nearly 30% less than Uber and Lyft — and according to exclusive Obi data, it's already surpassed both as the most requested rideshare in NYC in the Obi app.

We analysed 7.8 million ride offers to find out how. The results are surprising.

Full report out now

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 rep...

05/20/2026

Uber and Lyft rewrote New York’s taxi market.
Now it may be happening again.

Empower is charging riders nearly 30% less than Uber and Lyft — and according to exclusive Obi data, it’s already surpassed both as the most requested rideshare in NYC in the Obi app.

We analysed 7.8 million ride offers and 19,870 receipts to find out how. The results are surprising.

Full report out now — link in bio or visit rideobi.com/empower

05/19/2026

🚗 Lyft drivers in Puerto Rico — earn $10 just for downloading our app!

DriveObi is a free app built for drivers like you. It tracks your earnings, helps you maximize your income, and shows you exactly how much you're making per trip.

👉 Here's how to claim your $10:
1. Download DriveObi at driveobi.com
2. Sync your Lyft account
3. Get paid $10 — it's that simple

We're looking for Lyft drivers in Puerto Rico to help us beta test the app. Your feedback shapes the product, and you get rewarded for it.

100% free. No catch. Just download, sync, and earn.

https://driveobi.com/

05/18/2026

Obi CEO, Ashwini Anburajan, shares a striking finding from Obi research — only 16% of women have immediately adopted AVs, compared to 38% of men. And when it comes to putting their children in a self-driving car? Men are far more willing to let it drive away.

The assumption that women would embrace AVs faster due to safety benefits? The data tells a very different story.

This is the kind of insight that should be shaping how the industry thinks about trust, design, and the road to mainstream AV adoption.

Watch the full Ignite talk and learn other data insights at rideobi.com

05/18/2026

Grab Drivers wanted! Help us test our new app - get $20. Simply download and sync your Grab account to earn a $20 reward. Must be an active driver to qualify. Download at https://appdistribution.firebase.dev/i/b9d0fe89663170ee

05/12/2026

From Capitol Hill to New York City — Obi was proud to show up for transportation. 🚖

We sponsored the TTA’s 2026 Legislative Fly-In in D.C., where industry leaders held 66 meetings with Congress to fight for NEMT reform, passenger safety, and driver protections. Real advocacy, real impact.

And we were part of the NYU Rudin Center’s Annual Celebration of Excellence in Transportation — the “Met Gala of Transportation” 🎉 — an incredible evening celebrating the people shaping the future of how we all get around.

Proud to stand behind the industry we believe in. 🙌

05/01/2026

The BTS Effect is real — and we have the data! 📊

We tracked Uber and Lyft prices across every BTS concert night in Tampa, Florida, and the numbers don't lie:

📍 Baseline price per mile: $5.33
🎶 BTS concert night: $7.09
📈 That's a +33% surge — overnight.

Wait times climbed too. The average ETA jumped from 7 min 43 sec to 8 min 35 sec — even at midday, when demand is usually at its lowest.

BTS doesn't just sell out stadiums. They move markets.

Full analysis rideobi.com/btstampa

May 2026 | By Obi Research BTS just kicked off their long-awaited 2026 world tour in the USA — their first full-group run since before the pandemic — and the impact is being felt far beyond concert venues. From hotel bookings in Kaohsiung spiking 6,700% to Tampa rideshare prices jumping…

04/24/2026

Help us beta test! If you are an active Grab driver, we just need a few minutes of your time to help us test a new app. Paying $50.
Email us at [email protected] or leave a message here.