Ridesharing provider Uber intensifies its electrification efforts with plans to import 10,000 BYD electric cars from the world’s largest auto market, China, to Australia.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the ridesharing company’s Uber Green platform enables customers to choose a ride between electric or hybrid vehicles.
Uber and BYD’s partnership
BYD, through its Australian distributor EVDirect, will aid Uber in importing the planned 10,000 BYD Atto 3 units.
Through the partnership, Uber drivers can now obtain the $48,000 BYD Atto 3 from the local distributor. Its financing offers begin at $269 per week for four years.
“We believe that 10,000 Uber vehicles switching across to electric is just the beginning. Once people understand how much money can be saved and how easy it is to transition [to an electric vehicle], we think this will be a tidal-wave movement.”
EVDirect chief executive Luke Todd
It will also allow drivers to rent an EV for a year, and the local distributor will retrieve it and sell it in the used EV market.
“We’re going to see a huge number of vehicles repurposed and come onto the second-hand [market].”
EVDirect chief executive Luke Todd
Emission targets
Uber Australia allocated $26 million in investments into its electrification initiatives in the Australian industry.
The investment is part of its wider goal of achieving carbon neutrality across its local mobility platform by 2040.
That said, it aims to have zero-emission cars account for 100% of its portfolio in Australia by the set timeline.
“We’re a touch under two per cent (of kilometres travelled in electric vehicles) and we need that to be 100 per cent by 2040 and that’s why we need to invest. We think the next five years is going to be a key period for the uptake of EVs here in Australia.”
Uber Australia General Manager Dom Taylor (via The New Daily)
Uber’s latest analysis
Uber Australia General Manager Dom Taylor announced the company’s plans to offer businesses data regarding pollution reduction from their shift to EVs.
Mr. Taylor further shared the company’s latest analysis this year.
“When we ask drivers if they want to upgrade to an EV, two-thirds say yes, but less than 20 per cent say that they think it’s actually likely. Our analysis in 2021 showed that was because of the high upfront cost of the car in Australia, and that a hybrid car was a lower-cost option and that was why we saw more hybrids in Australia.
We’ve run that same analysis in 2023 using the Atto 3, and it’s at a tipping point where today an EV is the lowest-cost option.”
Uber Australia General Manager Dom Taylor
As per the report, there are currently around 150,000 active Uber drivers per month. Meanwhile, the Uber rideshare platform has 2400 EVs as of now.
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Shifting to electric vehicles offers significant benefits, including fuel savings, reduced emissions, and advanced technologies. Uber claims to have already saved more than 500 tonnes of CO2 emissions in the 12-month period alone.
Australia is also set to introduce a new fuel efficiency standard by 2024. It will restrict average fleet emissions by calculating grams of carbon dioxide per km to urge automakers to boost EV sales.
“We are hoping to see a powerful fuel efficiency standard coming from the federal government in the next six months as private players like BYD enter the market with bulk low cost.”
Uber Australia General Manager Dom Taylor
