Uber deal could add 100,000 ridehailing EVs to roads

Uber is teaming up with BYD to bring 100,000 of the Chinese automaker’s electric vehicles to the ridesharing app. The multiyear partnership will roll out in Europe and Latin America first, giving drivers “best-in-class pricing and financing” for BYD vehicles used with Uber.

Uber says the goal is to encourage more drivers to use EVs as part of its plan to electrify its rides, while also lowering the cost of EV ownership. Along with potential discounts on financing and loans, the partnership could give BYD drivers price cuts on charging and vehicle maintenance, depending on the market.

Additionally, Uber and BYD will work together to bring more autonomous vehicles to the ridesharing platform. Uber began offering rides with the robotaxi company Waymo last year and expanded its partnership to include autonomous food delivery in April. “This collaboration marks a new era in the electrification of urban mobility, and we look forward to seeing our cutting-edge EVs become a common sight on the streets of cities worldwide,” Stella Li, the CEO of BYD Americas, says in the announcement.