By D. Maan, Jadetimes News
Uber to Add 100,000 Electric Vehicles to Global Fleet by Partnering with Chinese EV Manufacturer BYD
Ride sharing firm Uber has announced a major partnership with Chinese electric vehicle (EV) producer BYD. It would add some 100,000 electric vehicles to the company's global fleet, providing incentives for Uber drivers to switch to electric cars by offering discounts on not only maintenance and charging but also financing and leasing.
This multi year agreement will first hit Europe and Latin America but plans to expand to the Middle East, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The agreement comes at a time when there is a slowing in EV sales around the world, while an increased import tariff on Chinese vehicles is creating trouble in both the US and European Union.
"The companies have committed to making the total cost of ownership of an EV lower for Uber drivers, accelerating the global uptake of EVs on the Uber platform and bringing millions more riders into contact with greener rides," the firms said. The firms added that they would also look to incorporate BYD's self driving technologies onto the Uber platform.
The company earlier this year partnered with Tesla to pump up the EV adoption rate among its drivers in the US and said it had plans to develop a purpose built EV with South Korean carmaker Kia.
With tariffs mounting, BYD is not alone among Chinese EV makers expanding its production capacity offshore. In July, BYD signed a deal worth $1 billion for the construction of a plant in Turkey with an annual capacity of 150,000 cars and 5,000 jobs before the end of 2026.
Also, BYD opened its first South East Asian EV plant in Thailand last month. The capacity of the facility is to produce 150,000 vehicles per annum, generating 10,000 jobs. It is establishing a manufacturing plant in Hungary, marking BYD's first passenger car facility in Europe, and is getting ready to set up one in Mexico.
BYD stands as the second-biggest EV maker in the world, following Tesla led by Elon Musk, and is supported by veteran US investor Warren Buffett.
