Uber and BYD to launch 200 EVs in South Africa

Ridesharing company Uber and carmaker BYD are working on getting EVs on the road. The focus is now on South Africa as part of a pilot programme that will see Uber launch BYD electric vehicles on the streets of Johannesburg in 2025.

Uber and BYD signed a strategic partnership in the summer, according to which 100,000 electric vehicles to Uber fleets “across key global markets. The initial focus was on Europe and Latin America, followed by the Middle East, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. But it now seems that South Africa’s biggest city has been added to the list.

It is not clear which model will be used in Johannesburg. In Australia, BYD and Uber already offered special leasing and financing rates for a limited number of BYD Atto 3s. It appears that the partners will adopt a similar strategy in South Africa, offering special deals and financing options for the EVs.

According to local media, the pilot programme could “pave the way for broader adoption of EVs in South Africa’s ride-sharing industry.”

yomzansi.com, travelnews.co.za