Uber Technologies and China's largest EV maker, BYD, announced a multi-year deal to bring 100k new BYD vehicles onto the Uber platform across top markets worldwide, excluding the US.
A statement from both companies said the deal would first allow BYD vehicles to be offered to Uber drivers in Europe and Latin America and then expand to the Middle East, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The companies said drivers would be offered "access to best-in-class pricing and financing for BYD vehicles on the Uber platform."
"By working together, the companies aim to bring down the total cost of EV ownership for Uber drivers, accelerating the uptake of EVs on the Uber platform globally, and introducing millions of riders to greener rides," the companies noted.
Uber and BYD did not mention a future rollout in the US, likely because the Biden administration has vowed to increase tariffs on Chinese EVs to 102.5% this year, increasing the rate former President Trump raised to 27.5% during his first term.
In the European Union, BYD faces a tariff of 17.4% - this is the lowest duty among all Chinese EV brands, and some have been slapped with new duties as high as 37.6%.
Vice President of BYD and CEO of BYD Americas Stella Li said, "This collaboration marks a new era in the electrification of urban mobility, and we look forward to seeing our cutting-edge EVs become a common sight on the streets of cities worldwide."
US brands like Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid might need to get creative by partnering with ride-hailing apps domestically and internationally to boost sales amid the global EV sales slump.
