The time for Uber to electrify its fleet is running out, and the ridesharing company wants automakers to assist by creating more affordable electric cars for its drivers.
California’s Air Resources Board is one of the legislators who has set a deadline for rideshare companies to stop using fossil fuels. Uber also has its own electrification goals, with a 2025– 2030 timeframe. All right, but the majority of people, including drivers of ride-hailing services, still find electric vehicles to be prohibitively expensive.
Uber’s CEO wants purpose-built vehicles
Uber’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, has stated that the company is discussing with automakers to build EVs that forego speed or even one or two wheels to reduce sticker prices. The CEO didn’t specify which automakers Uber is reportedly collaborating with, but last year the business unveiled a prototype from Arrival, a British automaker, geared toward ridesharing.
Top speeds that many cars have are not necessary for city driving that’s associated with rideshare,
We’re also talking about vehicles that are purpose-built for delivering things like groceries,
You can imagine smaller vehicles — two-wheelers, three-wheelers — that have trunk space that can get through traffic easier that have a much smaller footprint, both in terms of environmental and also traffic footprint, than let’s say a car
Khosrowshahi stated on Wall Street Journal event on Thursday
The CEO added that the seating arrangement for passengers could change, with passengers possibly “facing each other.” (The executive omitted to mention whether Uber would pay for the costs associated with the motion sickness attacks I presume this would cause.)
Uber is one of many businesses that believe that much smaller, four-wheeled vehicles have a future in food and grocery delivery. Arcimoto and ElectraMeccanica are just two businesses that have promoted this idea in recent years, even in markets like the U.S., where auto rickshaws need to be more familiar.
