Uber to redirect focus to bikes and electric scooters

Uber intends to focus more on its electric scooter and bike business as it says individual modes of transport are better-suited to inner city travel. Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s CEO, believes users will make more frequent, shorter journeys in the future, the Financial Times reports. "During rush hour, it is very inefficient for a one-tonne hulk of metal to take one person ten blocks,” he says. Uber’s Jump electric bikes are now available in eight US cities such as San Francisco and Washington DC, and are
August 28, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

8336 Uber intends to focus more on its electric scooter and bike business as it says individual modes of transport are better-suited to inner city travel.

Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s CEO, believes users will make more frequent, shorter journeys in the future, the %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external Financial Times Financial Times website link false https://www.ft.com/content/986d878a-a7c4-11e8-8ecf-a7ae1beff35b false false%> reports.

"During rush hour, it is very inefficient for a one-tonne hulk of metal to take one person ten blocks,” he says.

Uber’s Jump electric bikes are now available in eight US cities such as San Francisco and Washington DC, and are set to launch in Berlin.

The ride-sharing company has also joined forces with electric scooter company Lime.

Khosrowshahi recognises that Uber makes more money from a car journey than a bike trip - but says this would be offset as users engage with the app more regularly for shorter journeys.
"We are willing to trade off short-term per-unit economics for long-term higher engagement."

The move comes as Uber announced it was to supply its proprietary self-driving system to %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external Toyota Sienna Minivans Uber website link false https://www.uber.com/newsroom/uber-toyota-team-self-driving-cars/ false false%>. “Rather than owning and operating the fleet of self-driving vehicles, these minivans will be owned and operated by an agreed upon third party, a new business model for Uber,” the company said in a statement.

Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Volvo Group Venture Capital invests in wireless electric charging
    January 17, 2019
    Volvo Group Venture Capital has invested in Momentum Dynamics – a company which provides wireless charging technology for commercial electric, connected and autonomous vehicles (C/AVs). Per Adamsson, vice president at the Volvo subsidiary, says: “High capacity charging up to 300 kW for trucks, buses, construction equipment, industrial and marine applications will support the electrified transition.” Wireless electric charging is expected to allow any vehicle to automatically connect to the electrical
    Read More
  • Comark showcases Raser 4001 detector
    March 19, 2018
    Italy-headquartered Comark, an international player in traffic detection and parking solutions, is featuring a range of products, including new devices with laser technology and the new Lora IoT vehicle detector for parking applications. The company is also showcasing its Raser 4001 detector, based on the combination of two technologies (microwave doppler radar and laser scanner) to get the best results in the detection and classification of vehicles. Also being featured is the USMI9601 sensor that uses
    Read More
  • ITF study: shared mobility can cut congestion and CO2 emissions
    October 12, 2017
    A new ITF mobility study in Helsinki confirms that a combination of 6-seater shared taxis and taxi buses can carry out all of today’s car journeys in the city area with just 4% of the current number of privately owned vehicles. These shared mobility platforms also mean fewer changes, less waiting and shorter travel times compared to traditional public transport. In addition, the results confirm improved access to jobs and public services, most notably for citizens in areas with few such offers.
    Read More
  • ITS European Congress 2020 to be hosted by Lisbon
    February 11, 2019
    ITS European Congress 2020 is to take place in Lisbon, bringing together international mobility stakeholders next year in the Portuguese capital. Organised by Ertico – ITS Europe, the Congress will be themed 'ITS - The Game Changer’ and is an opportunity to display Lisbon's latest achievements in the field of intelligent mobility services. The memorandum of understanding was signed by Ertico CEO Jacob Bangsgaard, Rui Camolino, president of ITS Portugal, and Miguel Gaspar, mobility councillor for Lisb
    Read More

Highlighted Content