New rideshare app Empower lands in Houston

How it works: Empower pitches itself as a way for drivers to earn more. It charges drivers a monthly fee instead of taking a cut of each ride, allowing drivers to keep the entirety of their fare and set their own rates.

• On the user side, the app works largely like other rideshare platforms.
• The company says riders save 15% to 20% on average and can request favorite drivers, though that might matter more once there are more drivers on Houston's roads.

Driving the news: The company announced last week it expanded across several metro areas, including Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta — all set to host World Cup matches.

• It now operates in Baltimore; Washington, D.C.; South Florida; New York City and around Winston-Salem, N.C.
• There's a 30-day free trial for Houston drivers, after which the subscription in Houston and Dallas will start at $29.99 per month, Empower tells Axios. Prices vary widely elsewhere — about $30/month in South Florida to roughly $300 in Maryland.

By the numbers: Since it launched in 2019, Empower says it's completed more than 20 million rides and has over 600,000 riders.

Friction point: Empower argues it's a software platform, not a transportation company — and has been operating in Washington and Maryland without authorization while both regions fight to regulate it.

What they're saying: "Texas state law preempts municipal regulations for Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), which are digital platforms that connect passengers with drivers," Tina Paez, the city of Houston's director of administration and regulatory affairs, told Axios in a statement when asked about oversight.

• The city did not respond to further questions.

While Uber and Lyft have invested in in-app safety features, especially for women, Empower's were a little more bare-bones. The "safety issues" button calls a phone hotline.

• Empower, in a statement to Axios, said it has a support team available by phone and email 24/7 and that all drivers undergo background checks conducted by Checkr — the same service used by Uber. Drivers must pass criminal, sex offender and motor vehicle records checks.

👋 Shafaq here. I tested out Empower and chatted with the drivers along the way.

My experience: My first ride — a 10-minute trip near the Washington Corridor — came together quickly. I waited about four minutes, and the ride itself was smooth and simple.

• My trip was canceled on the way back just as the driver was about to arrive after a 13-minute wait. Another request sat for 10 minutes without a driver accepting. I had a meeting to get to, so I switched to Lyft, which had more drivers available.
• I wanted to try a ride in the suburbs, too. So I booked a 17-minute ride in Sugar Land. The trip was booked quickly, but the driver was 15 minutes away.

Zoom in: New riders get a coupon. Each ride was 11% to 23% cheaper than Lyft and Uber, not counting the discount codes.

• The ratings for drivers are with thumbs up and thumbs down. Since it's new, there are minimal ratings. I was often their first ride.

What they're saying: One driver said they were tired of the percentage Uber takes and wanted to try something new, noting that I was their first-ever Empower ride.