- Uber wants more Chinese electric cars
When ordering a ride with Uber, you might increasingly see a Chinese electric car pull up in Europe and Latin America. The ride-hailing company aims to bring 100,000 vehicles from automaker BYD onto its platform.
The partnership is set to expand to the Middle East, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand over time, the companies announced. The USA is notably absent from this list: The U.S. government keeps Chinese electric cars off the market due to claims of unfair subsidies, imposing tariffs.
The cooperation is expected to offer Uber drivers better prices and financing options for BYD electric cars.
Additionally, the companies plan to work together to bring future vehicles with autonomous driving capabilities onto the Uber platform. Uber sees itself as a globally operating service well-positioned to make self-driving cars accessible to many people, they said.
Currently, the leader in robotaxis is Waymo, the sister company of Google, which transports passengers in several U.S. cities using modified electric Jaguars.
The European Union might also become a part of Uber's expansion, as they aim to bring 100,000 electric cars from BYD onto their platform worldwide. Despite the U.S. government's restrictions on Chinese electric cars, The European Union has not imposed similar tariffs, making it a potential market for BYD's vehicles in partnership with Uber.
