Sneak Peek at Uber’s Electric Vehicle Strategy

Autonomous, shared and electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to dominate the roads in coming decades.
Some projections show them becoming the primary mode of passenger transportation by 2031.

With a successful shared vehicle platform running and autonomous vehicle development well underway, Uber is exploring electrification, reports Greentech Media.

While self-driving cars aren’t required to be electric, it is useful due to the amount of power needed to run the autonomous projects. Electric drivetrains also offer a quieter ride and lower maintenance costs, and can provide a seamless refuelling experience with wireless charging. That’s in addition to the fact that EVs do not produce tailpipe emissions, becoming more of a mandate as cities get more densely populated and vehicle emissions verge on becoming a serious health risk.

Uber launched an EV project in Portland, Oregon, which includes partnering with Drive Oregon to expand EV education and creating new incentives to promote EV adoption. It’s similar to that launched in London. The company has also run EV pilots in Lisbon, Madrid, Johannesburg and Paris.

About 100 EV drivers are among Uber’s estimated 6000 drivers in the Portland metro area. That already represents a higher percentage of EV drivers than in the general public. The goal of the new initiative is to add hundreds more through a vehicle-leasing option, EV ambassadors and a public outreach campaign, and more.

A typical passenger car sits idle 96% of the time. Uber has the technology platform to maximise the use of those resources.

“It’s about getting people to go places in EVs more on a miles and trips basis,” Uber sustainability and environmental impact public policy manager Adam Gromis says.

If Uber and other mobility companies don’t move into vehicle electrification, autonomous and shared vehicles could actually worsen carbon pollution by making personal vehicle travel easier and more convenient. How Uber and others will do this is still playing out.

Uber doesn’t own the vehicles that use its platform, but the company can still play a major role in getting more EVs on the road and in using its public-facing brand and giant user base to build demand for electrified mobility. Uber has already found in Europe and Africa that EV drivers are rated higher than drivers who use conventional gas-powered cars, and the EV drivers themselves are more engaged on the Uber platform. The company is now thinking about how to leverage these insights to further EV adoption.

Uber could also play a more technical role in the EV ecosystem. The company has access to data that could inform the placement of charging stations and could help manage the impact EVs have on the electric grid. At the same time, utilities have an opportunity to partner with members of the transportation sector, like Uber, and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of mobility.

Gromis will talk about “Building an EV Infrastructure Market” at a Grid Edge World Forum panel in San Jose, June 27-29.