Uber says it is exploring a partnership with an establish automaker to manufacture specialized ride hailing vehicles.
We haven’t heard much about Uber these days. The ride hailing company continues to do what it does — provide people who need to get from Point A to Point B in congested urban areas with an alternative to taxis using an app-based system that allows customers to request a ride with just a tap on a smartphone.
The business model created by Uber a decade ago is a thing of beauty. It puts all the expenses of buying, maintaining, insuring, and fueling the vehicles used to transport its customers on its drivers. In exchange, it operates the software, collects the money, and distributes the appropriate share of each fare to the drivers. It’s pure genius.Uber launches self-driving pilot in San Francisco with Volvo Cars.
The company is encouraging its drivers to switch to electric cars partly to burnish its green credentials and partly to satisfy the climate initiatives of the states and cities where it operates. Last week, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi attended aevent, where he revealed his company is working with several automakers to develop and create custom EVs that are purpose built for ride sharing and delivery. It’s part of Uber’s larger goal of electrifying its entire fleet by 2040.
What would these purpose-built cars be like? Acceleration and top speed are not prime considerations for a ride hailing or delivery vehicle. Nor are nimble handling and off-road capability. For ride hailing, the priorities are ease of access and comfortable seating. Seats that face each other so passengers can communicate easily are much preferred as well. The hope is cars with lower top speeds will cost less to manufacture while being more efficient at carrying multiple passengers.
For delivery vehicles, cargo capacity in a package capable of negotiating urban congestion are high on the wish list. Uber imagines using two- or three-wheeled vehicles that are more mobile but still have room for storing packages, groceries, and more. The company previously announced a partnership with Arrival, an EV startup based in the UK, to create custom ride hailing cars. Arrival teased a design that could be a good example of what the company is looking for.
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