
Depending on which article you read, Uber claims it will be 100% Electric by 2030 or 2040? These made up dates have no relevance though since Uber has never met a deadline, or even made a profit! Autonomous Vehicles were promised by 2020, then when 2020 came along it became 2025. Flying Cars became VTOL’s (Vertical Take Off and Landing), which quickly became a helicopter. Are you noticing a pattern yet? Here are 7 publications from today’s headlines talking about the same story with different ending dates. This time it is not the media’s fault, yet anyway. They are simply going off the false information provided to them by Uber Media & Spokes-people. Pick your poison below:
- THE VERGE: Uber pledges to shift to ‘100 percent’ electric vehicles by 2030 Uber announced Tuesday that “100 percent” of rides will take place in electric vehicles by 2030 in the US, Canada, and Europe, and by 2040 for the rest of the world. But rather than pay drivers directly to trade their gas-burning vehicles for electric ones, the company will impose an extra fee on trips completed in an electric vehicle to incentivize drivers to make the switch… [READ FULL ARTICLE]
- REUTERS: Uber promises 100% electric vehicles by 2040 Uber Technologies Inc on Tuesday said every vehicle on its global ride-hailing platform will be electric by 2040, and it vowed to contribute $800 million through 2025 to help drivers switch to battery-powered vehicles, including discounts for vehicles bought or leased from partner automakers… [READ FULL ARTICLE]
- WIRED: Uber Pledges to Go All-Electric, but It Doesn’t Own the Cars UBER ON TUESDAY pledged to convert its fleet in US, Canadian, and European cities to fully electric by 2030. By the end of the following decade, Uber says, all of its rides will be aboard electric vehicles, either cars, bikes, or scooters. The pledge follows a similar one from rival Lyft, which said in June that all of its rides would be in electric vehicles by 2030. “Uber has a clear responsibility to reduce our environmental impact,” CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told reporters. “Today, we’re committing to work with cities to build back better together and tackle the climate crisis more aggressively than ever before.”… [READ FULL ARTICLE]
- AXIOS: Uber vows big expansion of electric rides
How it works: Uber this morning announced moves, including…
- Launching Uber Green program — which provides rides in EVs and hybrids — today in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Vancouver and a bunch other cities, with plans to have the program in over 30 cities by year’s end. It includes new incentives for drivers to use EVs.
- An $800 million commitment aimed at helping “hundreds of thousands” of Uber drivers worldwide overcome cost barriers to transitioning to EVs over the next 5 years. They’re offering incentives of up to $1.50 per ride, and rolling out new partnerships with automakers to defray costs.
- New and wider steps to integrate their ride-hailing with micromobility and public transit, including a new feature that “integrates UberX and public transportation travel routes into one complete route.”… [READ FULL ARTICLE]
- FORBES: Uber Commits $800 Million For Drivers To Buy EVs To Meet Zero-Emissions Goal “Transportation is the fastest growing source of climate-disrupting pollution, and ride-hailing companies, like Uber, can play a vital role in changing course,” Andrew Steer, president and CEO of the World Resources Institute, said in a statement. His group is partnering with Uber on its initiative. “As Uber increases its focus on low-carbon transportation, it can expand public transit integration and micromobility options, especially for low-income communities, and catalyze the electric vehicle revolution by supporting policies that prioritize the most intensively used vehicles first.”… [READ FULL ARTICLE]
- ENGADGET: Uber brings its green rides option to the US Uber is also teaming up with car manufacturers, like GM in the US and Renault / Nissan in Europe, to help make battery EVs cheaper to buy for drivers. The company will also affirm commitments to build out its own EV charging infrastructure and partner with local governments to support local clean air initiatives. Naturally, the addition of Lime scooters in several cities is also seen as a big win to increase low-emission travel. Uber’s David Reich, who heads up the company’s transit division, has said that Uber isn’t planning to ditch Uber Pool and non-stop shared rides. The hope is that, when the pandemic subsides, users will be able to go back to embracing shared mobility to reduce the number of cars on the road. In addition, the company is rolling out UberX + Transit to Chicago and Sydney to help switch between public transit and Uber in one go… [READ FULL ARTICLE]
- CNET/ROAD SHOW: Electric cars will make up 100% of Uber fleet by 2030 in US While the 2040 goal is a ways off, the goal to have all-electric fleets for trips in US and Canadian cities by 2030 isn’t. Uber said it plans to commit $800 million to help its drivers transition to electric cars this decade. And on that news, General Motors wants to make it even easier. The automaker said in a separate announcement it will offer employee pricing on a new Chevrolet Bolt EV for eligible Uber drivers. The employee pricing also works with an $8,500 national rebate Chevy currently runs for the electric car, and that’s before any state and local tax credits for purchasing an EV. GM no longer qualifies for a full federal tax credit… [READ FULL ARTICLE]
Having done over 20k rides, I agree, and KNOW their ONLY focus is money! Veteran Rideshare Drivers all know this, but we report on all topics, even when we know they are PR Stunts or simply bogus promises. Have a good one, Scott!
Having given over 4k rides, mostly with UBER, I’ve come to learn about their main focus on money and not the driver or the passenger. So this article does not surprise, especially since they want public a year and a half ago.