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Uber held its annual product event on Monday, where the company announced new products for travel and sustainability that includes a new tier called Comfort Electric. Going by its name, the new service appears to be an extension of the previously announced Uber Comfort with the main difference of allowing passengers to opt for electric vehicles.
Following its announcement, Uber Comfort Electric has been made available in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Diego. The company confirmed that the ride-sharing tier will launch in “more cities” soon, but there is no specific timeline as of now.
Meanwhile, The Verge notes that Uber Comfort Electric will offer rides on select “premium EVs” only, including cars manufactured by Tesla, Polestar, and Ford’s Mustang Mach-E. As for its pricing, the new product is expected to be more expensive than UberX but more affordable than Uber Black.
This is not the first time Uber has made a push on incentivizing drivers to use EVs for the ride-sharing platform. In the same blog post, the company reiterated its deal with Hertz that will make up to 50,000 Tesla cars that drivers can rent by next year. Uber also maintained its “commitment to becoming a zero-emissions mobility platform by 2040.”
Last year, the company launched Uber Green, which also allows passengers to get matched with drivers using hybrid or electric cars. It is available with an additional $1 fee, which Uber says, “Half goes directly to your driver for their use of a hybrid or electric vehicle; the other half will help other drivers with fossil-fuel vehicles transition to electric.”
Judging by its name, the Uber Comfort Electric tier will likely incorporate some of the features offered in the original Uber Comfort rides. The service allowed passengers to be matched with drivers that have newer vehicles with extra legroom and an option to extend the wait time to 10 minutes without being charged a cancellation fee. Uber Comfort also lets passengers choose among “service preferences,” including temperature presets and whether or not they want a chat with their driver.
Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash
