Uber and Hertz are beefing up their electric vehicle fleets with an influx of new cars from Swedish EV maker, Polestar.
Both companies are padding out separate EV offerings with Polestar 2s, an electric fastback which comes in standard and long-range versions.
Uber is adding 500 Polestar 2s through Australia’s largest provider of vehicle subscriptions to the rideshare sector, Splend, and plans to use them as the backbone of a new electric rideshare offer from 2023 called Custom Electric, to be rolled out first in Sydney.
Hertz bought 65,000 of the cars in April and said the first ones are now available for rent in all major state capitals, and Launceston. The rental car operator said its Polestars will also be available to rideshare drivers through a partnership with Uber.
Uber partnered with Splend in March to give drivers access to Tesla Model 3s, via Splend’s rent-to-own car plan, and in June extended a year-long trial of a 50 per cent discount on commissions to all EV drivers until 2025 alongside a range of incentives such as special pricing for at-home chargers.
Capitalising on excitement
Polestar is capitalising on growing excitement around EVs in Australia, by allowing everyday people who may not be able to afford a still-pricey electric car to experience them.
“Our partnership with Hertz provides an exciting opportunity for more Australians to experience the thrill of driving an EV while reducing their environmental impact,” said Polestar Australia head Samantha Johnson.
“For many customers, this will be their first experience in an electric vehicle and we’re proud to be able to share in their e-mobility journey.”
Splend founder Chris King says the Polestar 2 partnership with Uber Australia marks the start of what he expects will be a rapid acceleration of EV adoption here over the next few years.
Cutting transport emissions one Uber at a time
Splend says the deal with Uber should save between six and eight tonnes of CO2 emissions per vehicle per year, given a full time rideshare driver will clock up on average 50-60,000 kms per year and part time drivers around 25-30,000 km per year.
The company raised $150 million in April and secured $1.8 million from the NSW government’s $105 million Drive Electric fleets incentive, and this cash enabled it to buy up the Polestar 2s.
The six-year old startup has a target of 10,000 EVs across 10 Australian and UK cities by 2024.
“We know there are many barriers for Australians when it comes to driving an electric vehicle, not the least being limited supply and the cost of the car itself,” said Dom Taylor, general manager of Uber Australia and New Zealand.
“At Uber, we can have an outsized impact in accelerating the transition to zero-emission transport. When rideshare drivers switch to electric vehicles, they realise three to four times greater emissions savings compared to average car owners – because rideshare drivers use their vehicles more frequently.”
Rachel Williamson is a science and business journalist, who focuses on climate change-related health and environmental issues.