Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has encouraged users to ride electric in an interview with the BBC. He called on the government to encourage and support sales of electric vehicles (EVs) and said passengers should consider the benefits to the environment worth waiting a few extra minutes. Khosrowshahi went on to say that high-quality Chinese-made EVs are part of the solution to the climate crisis and demanded the new Labour government to honour its pre-election promise of ending the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars in 2030. Khosrowshahi’s comments come at a time when many countries, including Canada and the US are putting restrictions and tariffs on the import of Chinese EVs over concerns about unfair competition and damage to the domestic manufacturers.
EVs are already available as Uber’s. Passengers will now have the option to make an EV a permanent preference, though as the majority of Ubers are still petrol, diesel or hybrids, its expected that the option will come with a higher wait time. The company has set out a goal that all of its car journeys and deliveries will be zero emission vehicles by 2040 as part of its sustainability aims. Yet this faces challenges as the company expands and the worldwide uptake of EVs varies significantly. In London, one third of all Uber’s are EVs, but that fraction drops across the country. Across Europe, cities such as Berlin, Paris, and Madrid are showing that only 20% of Uber vehicles are fully electric. Uber currently makes a smaller profit margin on electric car rides, but Khosrowshahi believes that EVs are going to ensure the company’s longevity.
Despite Khosrowshahi’s environmental message, some critics point out that the nature of Uber’s business has already encouraged more cars to be on the road, as switching out public transport and deliveries from local shops has become more affordable.
Sales of EVs haven’t risen at the rate many expected, largely due to price and concerns over the infrastructure needed to maintain them (such as charging stations). Khosrowshahi called on the Government to target support for EVs at those who drive the most, such as corporate fleets rather than individual consumers. Typically carmakers favour subsidies to be more widely spread in order to attract a broader range of customers. But Khosrowshahi argued that when you consider Uber drivers clock more than 4 to 5 times the mileage of average drivers, this policy makes little sense either financially or ecologically. ‘For us we want to electrify our fleet and we want to make sure that it is affordable for our drivers.’
He also courted controversy by directly endorsing the use of Chinese-made vehicles. The last few months have seen the US and the European Union impose import taxes on Chinese EVs in an attempt to maintain competition in the market place for domestic manufacturers offsetting what has been seen as ‘unfair’ practices by the Chinese. While the UK has yet to impose tariffs, it is a move that is currently under consideration. Khosrowshahi claimed the move would be a mistake and called the European and American strategy ‘negative’ for the planet. Uber also works with BYD, a Chinese carmaker that is the second largest EV company, behind Tesla.
(Sources: bbc.co.uk)
