Uber aims to develop dedicated ride-share vehicles with car manufacturers

Ride-hailing company Uber's CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has revealed that the company aims to develop vehicles specifically for ride-sharing services, with car manufacturers. While speaking at an event hosted by the The Wall Street Journal recently, Khosrowshahi said that the company is working with manufacturers on vehicles that have been optimized for city use, as well as ferrying passengers and conducting deliveries.

He noted that these vehicles will come with lower top speeds and seating areas where passengers can face each other. “I do think that top speeds, for example, that many cars have are not necessary for city driving that's associated with ride-share. That can reduce the specs and if you reduce the specs you can reduce the ultimate cost," he said.

However, the CEO did not mention which companies Uber is working with, though the company has already committed to working with electric-vehicle manufacturer Arrival SA in the UK to build a vehicle focused on ride-hailing drivers. This comes as part of its plan to convert the fleet of vehicles its drivers use to electric by 2030 in many developed parts of the world.

Not just this, Uber is also working on a new era of delivery vehicles, and is considering making small two- and three-wheel delivery vehicles, noting that such vehicles “can get through traffic easier and have a much smaller footprint, both in terms of environmental but also traffic footprint than, let’s say, a car to go deliver groceries."