UBER has reached a deal with the world’s second-largest electric vehicle manufacturer to offer huge discounts to customers.
The private transport company will build a fleet of 100,000 engines from its new partner, starting within a few months.
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Uber has long been a pioneer in low-emission transport, with the beloved Toyota Prius hybrid being the car of choice for its UK workforce.
Now, however, the company will take the leap into the all-electric era under its new relationship with Chinese manufacturer BYD.
The automaker is locked in a battle with Tesla as the world’s number one electric vehicle supplier and is able to offer significant price reductions compared to the Elon Musk-run company due to heavy state subsidies.
Bosses recently announced an acceleration of the company’s expansion outside of Asia, with three new models launching in the UK next year.
Under the deal with Uber, BYD will supply 100,000 cars worldwide to be used to transport passengers, starting in Europe and Latin America before the end of the year.
This will then be extended to the Middle East, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in 2025.
As part of the deal, BYD will offer steep reductions in purchase prices and easier access to financing deals for Uber drivers looking to make the switch.
The company also suggested it could seek discounts on billing, maintenance and insurance, according to Car.
Typically, these savings are expected to translate into lower fares for customers, with EVs expected to become the only way to travel with Uber in the near future.
The app is still on track to completely electrify its “regional fleets” in the coming years.
Drivers in London will be required to use only electric vehicles by the end of next year.
Uber had previously partnered with British startup Arrival on a similar concept, but that ended in 2022, before the latter’s collapse into administration earlier this year.
CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said: “When an Uber driver switches to an EV, it can offer up to four times more emissions benefits compared to a regular driver, simply because they spend more time on the road.”
This comes after the first photos of BYD’s new rival Tesla model leaked online months before its expected debut.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
