Uber CEO slams fares, backs Chinese electric vehicles for climate solutions

• Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said China’s electric vehicle tariffs are “negative” for the planet.
• He said that Chinese electric vehicles are part of the solution to the climate crisis.
• Western governments have imposed tariffs to protect their auto industries from a wave of cheap Chinese electric vehicles.

Uber wants to go electric, and it’s using Chinese electric vehicles to do it.

In an interview with the BBC, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said electric vehicles made in China would be crucial in tackling the climate crisis and criticized tariffs imposed by the US and the EU on Chinese carmakers such as BYD.

It comes as Uber tries to convince its drivers to switch to electric vehicles, with the company aiming to have all its trips in zero-emission vehicles by 2040.

Khosrowshahi told the BBC that “high-quality” Chinese electric vehicles were part of the solution to the climate crisis and that electric vehicles made in China were “good for the environment”.

Uber’s CEO also said tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles introduced by the US and Europe are “negative” for the planet, suggesting that Chinese-made electric vehicles could help ease the transition to electric vehicles by providing a steady stream of more affordable vehicles .

“For us, we want to electrify our fleet and we want to make sure it’s affordable for our drivers,” said Khosrowshahi.

Uber announced a partnership with Tesla’s Chinese rival BYD in August that will have Uber drivers in various markets – including Europe – get discounts on 100,000 BYD vehicles.

Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether that deal is still ongoing following the EU’s tariff announcement.

High rates

BYD and its Chinese competitors such as Nio and Zeekr have been hit by a series of tariffs imposed by Western governments trying to protect their auto industry from a wave of cheap Chinese electric vehicles.

The US announced a 100% import tax on Chinese electric cars in May, while the EU recently voted to raise tariffs on Chinese manufacturers to 45%.

However, trade barriers have received a cold reception from some in the auto industry.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who previously called for measures to prevent Chinese electric vehicles from “demolishing” their Western rivals, said he was “generally in favor of no tariffs” after the Biden administration introduced the new tariffs import.

Uber says it has invested about $800 million to convince its drivers to go electric by introducing incentives such as discounted charging.

Customers can also select an electric electric vehicle in certain areas when requesting an Uber gift Khosrowshahi they said they might have to get used to waiting a bit since most Ubers are still gas, diesel or hybrid.

“We’re not saying, hey, wait 15 minutes, but if you have to wait another two or three minutes to help the environment, why not make that investment?” he said.

“A few minutes won’t kill anybody,” he added.