Uber seeks to create its electric cars optimized for its own needs. These, potentially, will be more affordable for them and more agile in terms of their specifications.
As The Wall Street Journal has learned, Uber is already working on the development of its own electric cars for the transport of people, as well as other parcel delivery services to which they are already engaged in places like Spain through the Uber Eats service. Their private vehicles would be explicitly developed for their work in North American and European markets, mainly.
This is not the first time that Uber seeks to create its own electric vehicles in which to carry out its activity. Just over a year ago, the transport company presented, together with Arrival, its conception of the ideal car for passenger transport. They promised that it would have more interior space than a Rolls-Royce, however, the plans were spoiled when the vehicle firm declared itself short of funds and preferred to focus on the development of its electric van.
Uber, they have not given up and have already established conversations with some brands. The company’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, has taken the first step by communicating this project during an event held in Davos, Switzerland. In it, he stated that the company wants to make vehicles specially optimized for urban use to significantly reduce costs.
The top manager went on to state that, for the needs that Uber presents, an electric car does not have to have a high top speed, extraordinary acceleration times, or significant power; with the right specifications to be able to develop your activity would be more than enough. These vehicles could also abandon the classic configuration of two rows of seats (one in front and one behind), in favor of an alternative with a double rear row facing each other and a large central space that functions as a lounge.
Specifically, the CEO assured that: “I believe that the maximum speeds, for example, that many electric cars have are not necessary for the driving in the city associated with carpooling. That can lower the specs, and if you lower the specs, you can lower the final cost .”
In the section on special vehicles for the transport and delivery of cargo, he pointed out that they could incorporate a two or three-wheel scheme, in this way “they can cross traffic more easily and have a much smaller footprint, both in terms of the environment and of traffic”.
Khosrowshahi did not specifically mention the automotive brands with which they are currently working for the development of their future electric vehicles, but it is expected that they will be different companies specialized in certain specific vehicles (electric bicycles, electric cars, motorcycles…).
For now, it has not been confirmed when the first vehicle developed for specific Uber jobs will be presented. The brand wants to present itself as a fully electric firm by 2030. In Europe, it hopes to achieve this goal much earlier, in 2025. For this reason, its first own models may see the light of day from that same year.
