Uber South Africa is doubling down on its push toward sustainability, integrating electric vehicles (EVs) and e-bikes into its e-taxi and courier business.
This initiative is part of Uber’s broader goal to become a zero-emission platform globally by 2040.
The company is working with governments across Africa to establish EV-friendly policies and reduce adoption barriers, including cost and infrastructure challenges.
Details
- Global goals: Uber’s “Green Future” program allocates $800 million globally to help drivers transition to EVs by 2025.
- Regional focus: Partnerships with initiatives like Go Green Africa emphasize localized solutions for sustainable mobility.
- Challenges: High vehicle costs, limited public charging infrastructure, and insufficient government incentives are major hurdles in South Africa.
Zoom Out
In July, Uber announced a partnership with EV manufacturer BYD, stating it would roll out 100,000 new EVs in key markets across the world.
The partnership, which started in Europe and Latin America, is expected to offer drivers lower pricing and financing for BYD vehicles on the Uber platform.
What They’re Saying
- Nakampe Molewa, GM for Sub-Saharan Africa at Uber Eats, said Uber is preparing to use EVs locally next year.
- “The future is e-mobility, and as Uber we are absolutely certain about that. If you look at Uber globally, we have a metric – we are looking at having 10% to 15% of our modalities globally be electric by 2027. In South Africa, EVs are a very nascent technology at the moment, but there are a few interesting plans happening.“
Why it matters
South Africa’s transition to EVs is slow compared to global trends, with under 5,000 EVs registered by the end of 2022.
Uber’s involvement highlights the growing demand for corporate leadership in sustainable transportation, especially as e-commerce and last-mile delivery markets expand.
Source: ITWeb
