Uber has entered a partnership with electric vehicle (EV) charging and energy management solutions company, Wallbox to make EV chargers accessible to seven European countries in an effort to expand in the region, according to a press release.
“We are delighted to expand our successful partnership with Uber,” Masud Rabbani, CBO Wallbox, said. “At Wallbox, we want to make the transition to EV as smooth and simple for drivers as possible and we believe our products offer that to drivers on the Uber platform around Europe. We look forward to this partnership developing over the coming years.”
Under the terms of the agreement, the product will now be available in the UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, France, Portugal and Belgium.
“We want to be the cleanest mobility platform on the planet, becoming a 100% electric platform across Europe by 2030. Partnerships with private and public stakeholders will be key to this success,” Chris Hook, head of global sustainability strategy at Uber, said. “Drivers consistently tell us that lack of easily accessible charging is an important concern. By expanding our collaboration with Wallbox in Europe, we hope this will help address this key barrier for switching to EVs and help ensure drivers can make the switch as seamlessly and as soon as possible.”
The launch serves as a continuation of a collaboration between Uber and Wallbox, initially established in 2021 in the USA and Canada. It supports the recently accelerated transition to electric vehicles and Uber’s goal to become a zero emissions platform in Europe by 2030, and as early as 2025 in London.
It will serve drivers, who recent data suggests are switching to electric cars five times faster than the average European private car owners, “with 6.2% of Kms driven on the Uber platform across the region now being fully electric.”
“Access to charging, both at home and on-street, remains a key barrier for drivers making the switch,” a recent press release explains. “As part of the partnership, drivers on the Uber platform will be able to purchase a home charger plus installation from Wallbox at a discounted rate.”