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People waiting for an Uber should be patient enough to wait a few more minutes for an electric car, the ride-hailing company's boss said.
“A few minutes won’t kill anyone,” Dara Khosrowshahi told the BBC in an interview.
Uber is offering new options to encourage its customers to choose electric journeys, but at the same time it says governments should do more to support electric vehicle (EV) sales.
Cheaper electric vehicles made in China are also “good for the environment,” he said.
Despite this, many countries oppose the import of Chinese electric vehicles, as they view them as unfair competition for domestic automakers.
“High-quality” electric vehicles made in China are part of the solution to the climate crisis, Khosrowshahi said.
He also called on the new UK government to stick to its pre-election pledge and end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, after the previous government pushed back the deadline to 2035.
Wait longer
Uber's efforts to encourage its customers to choose the eco-friendly transportation option are part of the company's overall sustainability goals: all of its car trips and deliveries must be made in “zero-emission vehicles” by 2040.
But the ambition will become more ambitious as it plans to go beyond taxi rides and food delivery.
Customers can already choose an electric vehicle when booking an Uber. A new option will allow them to register a permanent preference for the use of an electric vehicle.
Most Ubers are still gasoline, diesel, or hybrid vehicles, so it's likely customers will have to wait a little longer for an electric vehicle to arrive.
“We're not saying, hey, wait 15 minutes, but if you have to wait another two or three minutes to help the environment, why not make that investment?” » said Mr. Khosrowshahi.
In London, almost a third of Uber drivers have invested in an electric vehicle, so the difference in wait times may not be long. But adoption of electric vehicles is lower elsewhere in the UK and around the world. In European cities like Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Lisbon, Madrid and Paris, only 20% of the kilometers traveled by Uber vehicles are entirely electric.
In addition to benefiting the planet, Mr. Khosrowshahi believes that going electric will benefit Uber's business in the long term.
However, he says the company currently makes a lower profit margin on electric car journeys.
Uber is also introducing more delivery services, hoping to challenge rivals on products such as household products and groceries.
“You can get pet food at your local store with an Uber courier within an hour or two,” Mr. Khosrowshahi said.
“Ultimately, we think it can be even better than Amazon,” he said.
Critics have pointed out that ride-sharing and delivery services have already contributed to an increase in car travel, whether it's replacing a night bus with a taxi or having a bubble tea delivered to your doorstep. desk.
Mr Khosrowshahi wants to compete with rival Amazon in home deliveries
Pricing problem
Mr. Khosrowshahi said he understood that governments had broader questions to consider regarding tariffs on electric vehicles, but that he saw Chinese-made vehicles as part of the solution.
“For us, we want to electrify our fleet and we want to make sure it's affordable for our drivers,” he said.
One of the biggest barriers to wider adoption of electric cars is price.
Concerns over electric charging infrastructure have also contributed to stalled electric vehicle sales in many parts of the world.
Mr Khosrowshahi said he believed governments should provide more support for going electric, including in the UK, but he would like this support to be targeted at those who drive the most, such as Uber drivers , or for corporate fleets, rather than on those who drive the most. individuals.
“The Uber driver travels four to five times more miles than an average driver,” he said.
Carmakers are calling for subsidies to be more balanced between business and individual buyers to boost demand more broadly.
The United States and the European Union (EU) argue that the Chinese unfairly subsidize their automakers and have imposed tariffs – or import taxes – to bring the prices of Chinese cars more in line with those of domestic manufacturers .
The UK has not imposed tariffs on cars made in China.
Using tariffs to make Chinese cars more expensive for European and American consumers was “negative” for the planet, Mr Khosrowshahi said.
Without these tariffs, cars made by Chinese companies could potentially be supplied more cheaply to U.S. and European consumers.
Uber has also formed ties with Chinese automaker BYD, the second-largest electric vehicle maker after Elon Musk's Tesla.
