Uber is one of the most popular car-hailing apps in China, but is now gaining a poor reputation. (Photo : Reuters )
Uber Inc has signed up a deal with Chinese automaker BYD and is planning to import a fleet of electric cars for daily commute. The test program has already commenced in Chicago and is expected to be introduced to other cities in the United States.
The news was confirmed by a press meet held by the company. The spokesperson also confirmed that it is their first attempt in introducing electric cars as taxis and based on the results, they will consider expanding it to other cities in the near future.
Expressing the company's delight in seeing that drivers are interested to support such an innovative idea, the spokesperson Lauren Altmin said, "So far, we have seen enough support from drivers in the Chicago region. Both current employees and those who are applying to join Uber have shown great interest in driving electric cars."
BYD has associated itself with a company named Green Wheels in U.S. The company specializes in distributing hybrid and electric cards in the country. They distribute e6 vehicles from BYD on behalf of the Chinese company in U.S. They also have plants to build electric car stations to allow drivers to keep their vehicles charged on the go, confirmed a report from Business Insider.
Uber started off as a company that allows users to hire taxis using their smartphones but when they introduced UberX, that allowed drivers to have their own cars, it led to customer dissatisfaction. They were using cheap cars which the company now is trying to replace in association with BYD by introducing affordable electric cars.
At the moment, about 25 electric cars are being driven by Uber drivers in Chicago and the companies expect to increase it at least to a 100 cars before the end of the year, added News Everyday.
