The core of the collaboration is special conditions for Uber drivers, i.e. drivers who work with Uber receive access to favorable prices and financing options when purchasing or leasing a BYD electric vehicle. After Europe and Latin America, the partnership between Uber and BYD will be expanded to include markets in the Middle East, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. That’s right: the USA, with its high special tariffs on Chinese electric cars, is not included in this list.
Independently of this, both companies also want to work together on BYD vehicles that are to be equipped for automated driving and used on the Uber platform. Uber says in an accompanying statement that it is well positioned to make autonomous vehicle technology available to a global audience on a large scale.
Uber also specifies that drivers can also be supported in switching to electric vehicles as part of the BYD cooperation with charging discounts, vehicle maintenance, insurance, and financing and leasing offers – “depending on what is best for drivers in a particular market.” The aim is to reduce the overall cost of owning an electric vehicle for Uber drivers and to accelerate the spread of electric vehicles on the Uber platform worldwide. An attached press photo shows the Atto 3, Seal and Seal U models, which are therefore likely to be offered at a reduced price. It is not specified whether other BYD electric vehicles will be included in the deal.
“Uber and BYD share a commitment to innovating for a cleaner, greener world, and I’m excited to work together on that future,” says Chuanfu Wang, Chairman and President of BYD. For his company, the deal with Uber should help it to reduce the inventory that has probably built up in the meantime. In Europe, for example, with declining demand and the provisional tariffs, things are going much more slowly than expected for BYD too.
“As the largest global agreement of its kind, we are excited about the benefits this partnership will bring to drivers, riders and cities,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. “When an Uber driver switches to an electric vehicle, they can save up to four times more emissions than a regular car driver, simply by being on the road more. Many drivers also tell us that their first experience with an electric vehicle was on an Uber ride, and we are excited to help show the benefits of electric vehicles to more people around the world.”
In Australia, Uber had already entered into a cooperation with BYD importer EVDirect in October 2023, through which a total of 10,000 BYD Atto 3s were made available to Uber drivers through a range of financing and leasing options. Other cooperations exist with Kia, Hyundai and Tata, among others.
investor.uber.com, newspressuk.com
