Ford pilot program offers Uber drivers in California flexible Mach-E leases

Ford has launched a aviator that volition springiness Uber drivers entree to flexible leases connected Mustang Mach-E models successful 3 California cities.

The aviator program, called Ford Drive, launched Thursday successful San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles. It’s an inaugural of Ford Next, a part wrong Ford that incubates and launches caller concern that align with Ford’s goals.

The concern is successful enactment with Uber’s $800 cardinal committedness to helping drivers connected its level switch to zero-emissions vehicles successful North America and Europe by 2030. Uber has already partnered with car rental companies similar Hertz, Zevvy and Hive to connection affordable and flexible EV leases to its ride-hail drivers, but this is the archetypal clip the institution is moving straight with an automaker.

The upshot? With this pilot, Ford and Uber are efficaciously trialing cutting retired the mediate man.

The aviator is launching successful California, the authorities that represents Uber’s biggest market. It’s besides the lone authorities to walk authorities mandating that ride-hail trips indispensable beryllium performed successful zero-emissions vehicles by 2030. Uber appears to beryllium making immoderate headway successful that vein, astatine slightest successful California. By the extremity of 2022, adjacent to 10% of on-trip miles successful California were completed successful afloat electrical vehicles, according to Uber. In the U.S. and Canada, that fig is astir 4.1%, according to Uber’s sustainability report.

Uber and Ford archetypal trialed a akin lease programme successful San Diego past year. Uber drivers ended up leasing implicit 150 Mach-Es, and contiguous implicit 80% are rolling implicit into Ford Drive. Ford didn’t stock however galore vehicles it volition marque disposable to Uber drivers arsenic portion of the extended pilot.

Participating drivers volition beryllium capable to take betwixt 1 and four-month leases, depending connected the location. Rates volition alteration by city, but they’ll look thing similar $199 per week for 500 miles oregon $249 per week for 1,000 miles, according to a Ford spokesperson. If drivers extremity up utilizing much miles, they’ll wage $0.20 per mile. Uber drivers tin besides suffice for the company’s zero emanation incentive, which pays them $1 per travel performed successful an EV, up to $4,000 annually.

The Ford Drive squad volition enactment with section dealers to acquisition a fleet of Mach-Es specifically for leasing to Uber ride-hail drivers. Upon placing an order, drivers tin expect transportation of the conveyance wrong 2 weeks. They’ll usage the Ford Drive app to grip payments and servicing, portion section dealers grip work and attraction of the cars.

There is nary acceptable extremity day oregon nationalist enlargement plans to different cities oregon customers. Although the programme is exclusively accessible done the Uber Marketplace, it doesn’t restrict Uber drivers from utilizing the Mach-Es for Lyft rides. Since galore ride-hail drivers run connected aggregate platforms, they often power betwixt Uber and Lyft.