BYD and Uber Team Up in Chicago

BYD, the largest battery and electric vehicle maker in China and Uber, the ride sharing startup that matches riders with drivers over the Internet, have announced that the two companies have reached an agreement to feature BYD’s electric cars in Chicago.

Here’s how it works.

The cars will be the BYD model e6, a large minivan type of vehicle with 186 miles of range. The e6 is currently seeing service in taxi fleets in London. There are about 25 cars in the Chicago area at present but Uber says that number should climb to several hundred cars by the end of 2015.

The unique part of the pilot program in Chicago is an emphasis on letting Uber drivers buy or lease a vehicle to use for the driving they do for Uber.

The cars are available from Green Wheels USA, a Chicago car dealership that focuses on electric and hybrid cars and also builds EV charging stations. In addition to regular lease and purchase options, a driver can pay $200 a week for the use of a vehicle, returning it to Green Wheels at the end of each shift for recharging.

Clearly, Uber wants to recruit more drivers for its ride sharing operations, and BYD wants to sell more electric vehicles.

For its part, BYD, which has the financial backing of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway investment operations, is looking for a way to introduce its passenger cars to the American public. Outside of China, it is known primarily for building electric buses for public transportation service. From

Category: General Update, Green