Ride-hailing giant Uber is building a bespoke electric vehicle with UK EV start-up Arrival.
The final design will be revealed before the end of 2021, with the Arrival Car expected to enter production in the third quarter of 2023.
Arrival will invite Uber drivers to collaborate in the design of the Arrival Car to ensure the vehicle meets the needs of both drivers and passengers.
The vehicle will address the need to reduce the emissions of an estimated 30 million ride-hailing vehicles globally.
Uber has already committed itself to becoming electric-only in London by 2025, in North America and Europe by 2030, and globally by 2040.
At this early stage, vehicle specification is yet to be confirmed, however press images give a sneak peak of the car’s futuristic design philosophy.
The interior features a large central touchscreen through which drivers will be able to run the Uber app.
The company will prioritize comfort, safety and convenience with the main goal being to satisfy passenger’s needs.
The Arrival Car will join two previously announced commercial products: the Bus and Van.
The firm hopes that together these vehicles will form an integrated transport ecosystem focused on sustainability.
“We are confident that electrifying ride-hailing vehicles will have an outsized impact on cities, and we are keen to support drivers as they manage this transition. Arrival Car will be designed around drivers’ needs to create a vehicle that is affordable, durable and desirable,” said Mobility UK’s senior vice president, Tom Elvidge.
Smaller ride-hailing firms such as New York-based Revel are doing their bit to reduce impact on emissions by using only electric vehicles.
Revel has put 50 Tesla Model Ys on the roads in New York City.
As reported by the The Sydney Morning Herald, the use of electric vehicles by ride-hailing drivers has been hampered by the limited availability of EVs and the lack of support from the Australian Government.
Uber doesn’t disclose how many electric vehicles are currently being used by its drivers.
It’s trying to incentivise electric vehicle take-up by its drivers, recently announcing that from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 that all existing and new drivers of EVs will pay half the service rate they otherwise would.
