Uber Launches AI Chatbot to Support Driver Transition to Electric Vehicles
American ride-hailing company Uber has announced plans to introduce an AI assistant to help drivers shift to electric vehicles. Introduction of the Uber AI assistant is part of the company’s efforts to reduce carbon emission.
According to Reuters, Uber has been advocating for the shift to EVs for years now. The travel giant has committed $800 million to support drivers in its partner companies to move to EVs by the year 2040.
Empowering Uber EV Drivers
Uber is set to roll out the EV Mentor Program for drivers in the coming months. The program helps to connect drivers so they can find answers to questions about electric mobility. The travel company introduced the Uber AI chatbot to further support drivers as they shift to electric vehicles.
The AI assistant leverages OpenAI’s GPT-4o to respond to questions that drivers on the ride-hail network may have on the purchase and use of battery electric cars. Uber launched the AI assistant in London during the Go-Get Zero event on Tuesday, October 8, 2024. The Uber AI assistant with OpenAI capabilities will be introduced in the US next year before rolling out to other locations.
Customer’s EV Preference Feature
On October 8, 2024, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi announced the ride-hailing company will be adding new sustainability features on its platform. One of these features is the Uber EV preference. This feature will allow riders to choose fully electric cars by default when making ride requests.
Speaking at the Uber GO-GET Zero event on Tuesday, Khosrowshahi acknowledged the current global trend to shift to EVs.
“The reality is that we will only reach zero emission goals if policymakers and other businesses do their part as well. We need more affordable EVs, we need stronger EV mandates, we need incentives for people who are driving the most. We want to make sure that chargers are available in every community, not just the wealthiest. So we all need to step up,” he said.
Uber has previously introduced the ‘Uber Green’ service that features a mix of hybrid and battery EV models. The new EV preference service allows the ride-hailing company to offer battery EVs as the main ‘green’ option to riders in over 40 cities across the world.
Strategic Partnerships
Uber announced that it was partnering with UK-based Octopus Energy and China’s EV manufacturer to finance 1000 home chargers at a cost of 1000 pounds each for British drivers. The new deal allows Uber drivers to access the ‘Intelligent Go’ tariff offered by Octopus Energy. This tariff will enable drivers to reduce the charging cost of their electric vehicles. Uber drivers will also benefit from an 8% discount when they recharge on public charge systems in the Octopus Electroverse network.
“This is the first partnership between uber a power company and an EV manufacturer and it will meaningfully reduce charging costs for drivers,” Uber’s head of global sustainability, Rebecca Tinucci said.
In August 2024, Uber announced a deal with BYD that would add 100,000 Chinese manufactured electric cars to its fleet of cars globally. In September, 2024, the ride-hailing company partnered with China’s self-driving company, WeRide. Through this deal, Uber will add WeRide cars on its ride sharing platform and take Uber robotaxis to the UAE.
