“Booking an Uber” will soon be a literal term.
(Arrival)
The ride-hailing giant is teaming up with electric vehicle startup Arrival to design a purpose-built attributes vehicle for Uber drivers.
Arrival has developed an electric “skateboard” platform that can be used with a variety of vehicle types. Its first models have been buses and delivery vans, the latter of which Arrival investor UPS has ordered 10,000 of.
(Arrival)
Details on the Uber car have not been revealed and it remains under development, but the company said driver and passenger comfort are top priorities and a rendering of it depicts a pod-like vehicle with a roomy back seat area.
No mention was made about any autonomous driving capability. Uber recently ended in-house development of self-driving technology and has refocused on becoming an all-electric service in the U.S. and U.K. by 2030.
Arrival is currently setting up “microfactories” in North Carolina and the U.K. and hopes to start building vehicles next year with the Uber car arriving in 2023.
