Uber and Car Empire say they will accelerate Australia’s secondhand EV market with an Australian-first pilot.
Uber drivers and Uber Eats delivery people in Brisbane and the Gold Coast can access “affordable offers” on secondhand EVs, available on Uber’s vehicle marketplace.
Pre-owned car dealership Car Empire which imports secondhand EVs from Japan, is offering used Nissan Leaf EVs to Uber drivers and delivery people, with financing options available from $124 a week, inclusive of a three-year warranty and roadside assistance.
“For the past several years, we’ve been investing in a range of programs to lower the costs for drivers to transition to electric vehicles, but we’ve always believed a thriving secondhand EV marketplace would be a key catalyst to accelerate adoption across our platform,” says Uber Australia and New Zealand managing director Emma Foley.
“We’re thrilled to have found a partner in Car Empire, who is helping us bring this vision to life.”
Uber has committed to eliminating vehicle emissions across its platform by 2040, and since 2021 has helped bring down the costs of driving an EV on the Uber platform from halving their service fees to vehicle partnerships and discounted public charging.
As a result, Uber has seen EV uptake on the Uber platform outpace that of the general population by a factor of four, which is particularly impactful considering an EV on a rideshare platform realises four times the emissions savings compared to private ownership, it says.
In spite of making up 8.5% of new car sales, EVs comprise only 0.6% of Australia’s secondhand car market.
“The Australian market for used electric vehicles is currently quite limited,” says Car Empire director David Cosgrove.
“However, Car Empire, through strategic partnerships, has the unique capability to access a substantial volume of quality used EVs in Japan and import them into Australia. This not only provides consumers with a broader selection but also contributes positively to reducing emissions across the country.”
Uber drivers and Uber Eats delivery people will be able to curb their running costs by removing the need to pay for petrol, the two companies say.
“And with exclusive discounts on EV charging available via the Uber Pro program, they can reap additional savings,” they say, adding the Nissan Leaf is eligible to complete both Uber X and Uber Green trips on the platform.
“The decarbonisation of Australia’s transport sector is critical to achieving our national emissions targets, and we know the transition to electric vehicles will require whole-of-system collaboration,” says Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Samantha Johnson “We applaud Uber as they set out to remove barriers to EV ownership for rideshare and delivery drivers.”
Uber recently announced a multi-year strategic partnership designed to bring 100,000 new BYD EVs onto the Uber platform across key global markets.
This builds on the local agreement signed last year with EV Direct to make 10,000 BYD EVs available to Uber driver partners via a range of flexible financing arrangements.
Uber EVs are expected to enter the consumer market in about three years.
More than 4000 EV drivers were on the Australian platform in Q1 2024, reports say.
The Uber EV scheme is expected to eventually roll out to other regions.
