Uber partners with Renault and Nissan with aim to electrify UK and European private hire market
Updated: Sep 9, 2020
Renault and Nissan, within their Alliance, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Uber with the aim of electrifying its customers’ journeys throughout the UK and in Europe.
The companies will now explore a partnership to provide Uber drivers on the platform with affordable electric vehicles in European markets, notably in the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and Portugal. It follows a successful pilot between Nissan and Uber in the UK.
The MoU between the companies was announced today as part of Uber’s announcement to become a zero-emission mobility platform. By 2025, 50% of kilometers driven on Uber’s platform in aggregate across seven European capitals (Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Lisbon, London, Madrid and Paris) will be in electric vehicles. This will mean that riders will be able to select a zero-emission vehicle in cities representing 80 percent of Uber European business by the end of 2021.
Under the MoU, the companies will now explore how working together can accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and the electric ecosystem in European cities, including efforts to:
Offer partner drivers on the Uber App access to Renault and Nissan electric vehicles: Renault ZOE and Nissan Leaf and future new EVs from both companies.
Extend the United Kingdom pilot into France by the end of 2020, with a view to scaling the program to the Netherlands, Portugal, and other markets.
Launch joint marketing and education plans to promote the electric vehicle offers and benefits to Uber’s partner drivers and offer test drives to allow them to experience the cars.
Gilles Normand, SVP, Electric Vehicles & Mobility Services, Groupe Renault, said:
“This MoU with Uber is an acknowledgement of our ability to conquest new markets and to support professionals in their energy transition. Today, we capitalize on our competitive advantage: an attractive EV-offer that contributes to large scale electric mobility roll-out. We have worked closely with local authorities over the past years to propose solutions to the growing challenges facing cities: transportation, decarbonization and air quality. With the signature of this MoU we aim to join our forces to accelerate the movement."
Jordi Vila, Divisional Vice President for Sales and Marketing at Nissan Europe, added:
“From 10 years of experience with the Nissan LEAF, we know people love driving electric, and that making the switch can help drivers to save money and support the clean air ambitions of our major cities. By teaming up with Uber in the UK, we have already been able to increase the awareness and adoption of zero-emission vehicles, and we are looking forward to exploring how to roll that out further in Europe.”
