Uber To Test A Fleet of Electric Cars After a Deal With Chinese Automaker

By Kamal Nayan - 17 Mar '15 01:31AM

Uber Inc has struck a deal with Chinese automaker BYD Co Ltd to test a fleet of electric cars for its taxi drivers, the company said Friday.

The test program, started a few weeks ago in Chicago, could soon expand to other cities as well. The partnership is Uber's first attempt to focus on electric vehicle, a spokeswoman for the company said.

"We've seen interest in the program already from current and potential Chicago partners (drivers)," Lauren Altmin.

The BYD e6 vehicles are available through Green Wheels USA, a Chicago car dealership that focuses on electric and hybrid cars and also builds EV charging stations, Business Insider noted.

Reportedly, 25 BYD vehicles are currently being used by Uber drivers in Chicago. The company plans to make it a couple of hundred by the end of the year.

BYD gained Warren Buffett's backing in 2009 and announced plans to sell its e6 electric car in the United States the following year. Since then, BYD's U.S. business has focused mainly on electric buses for public transportation, according to Business Insider.