.jpg)
Uber and Arrival partnership aims to bring purpose built electric ride-hailing car to UK in 2023
Electric vehicle firm Arrival is partnering with ride-hailing operator Uber to develop an affordable, purpose-built electric vehicle (EV) for ride-hailing drivers.
The Arrival Car is expected to enter production in Q3 2023 and will be specially designed for ride-hailing and car sharing services which has over 30 million estimated drivers across the ride-hailing sector.
Arrival Car and Uber hope the partnership will help reduce emissions and improve air quality in cities. Uber has committed to becoming a fully electric mobility platform in London by 2025 and by 2030 across North America and Europe.
According to Arrival, a typical ride-hailing vehicle will on average drive 45-50,000km a year, versus 12,000km for a typical vehicle. The new vehicle will prioritise driver comfort, safety, and convenience, while ensuring the passengers enjoy a ‘premium experience’.
Arrival will collaborate with Uber drivers in the design process over the coming months to help the Arrival Car reflect the needs of professional drivers and their passengers, with the final vehicle design expected to be revealed before the end of 2021.
Following the launch of Uber’s Clean Air Plan in London two years ago, more than £135m has been raised to support drivers with the cost of switching to a fully electric vehicle. Uber’s focus is now to encourage drivers to apply for EV Assistance under the Clean Air Plan. They believe this will help clean up urban transport and drive a mass market for EVs.
The Arrival Car will join Arrival’s previously announced commercial products, the Bus and Van, to provide cities with a multi-modal zero-emission transportation ecosystem that they require in order to meet their sustainability goals over the coming years.
Tom Elvidge, SVP Arrival Mobility UK, said: “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.
“We have a great partnership with UPS to create a best-in-class electric delivery vehicle, and we hope to replicate that success with Uber as we develop the best possible product for ride hailing that elevates the experience of the passenger and improves drivers’ health, safety and finances.”
Jamie Heywood, Uber’s Regional General Manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, said: “As our cities open up we have an opportunity to make sure that urban transport is cleaner than ever before.
“Uber is committed to helping every driver in London upgrade to an EV by 2025, and thanks to our Clean Air Plan more than £135m has been raised to support this ambition. Our focus is now on encouraging drivers to use this money to help them upgrade to an electric vehicle, and our partnership with Arrival will help us achieve this goal.”
