Uber will give passengers a 40 percent discount for using electric or hybrid cars rather than gas cars.
The discount announced earlier this month is available for passengers traveling to and from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, which established a “Green Curb” for the initiative. Electric or hybrid cars will be marked as “Uber Green” or, for the more expensive ride types, “Uber Comfort Electric.” The discount applies to the latter.
In a press release, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego praised the airport as a leader in sustainability. Gallego further expressed gratitude that Uber had chosen the city to lead on their initiative.
“Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a leader in sustainability, and this new partnership is another example of how our airport remains on the cutting edge of every aspect of the passenger experience,” said Gallego. “I’m proud that Uber has chosen to bring this first-of-its kind initiative to Phoenix, and I look forward to supporting this innovative partnership!”
Another star of Super Bowl week was @PHXSkyHarbor, where fans got their first impression of Phoenix. Not only is Sky Harbor America’s friendliest airport — it may as well be dubbed the world’s most innovative. #FutureIsPHXhttps://t.co/Vy1RZaoXIY
Joining Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport in establishing a “Green Curb” is the Portland International Airport in Oregon, the London Heathrow Airport in England, and the Madrid Barajas International Airport in Spain.
However, other airport locations won’t offer as steep of discounts as the one given in Phoenix. At London Heathrow Airport, the discount only amounts to 10 percent.
This latest initiative by Uber is part of the corporation’s plan to achieve zero emissions by 2040, and to eliminate unnecessary plastic waste from deliveries by 2030. In addition to the discounted fare for electric travel, Uber will inform riders of their emissions usage, establish a carsharing network, expanding rentable bikes, establishing electric car charge accessibility, and advising UberEats customers of green packaging options.
Sustainability may also be taking the form of driverless cars: last month, Uber announced that it had teamed up with artificial intelligence ridership service Waymo. The initiative will begin in Phoenix, where driverless cars and freight transport have been tested in recent years.
Waymo debuted driverless vehicles in downtown Phoenix last August.
The coordinated effort between the city of Phoenix and corporations like Uber to increase electric car usage is similarly playing out at the state and national levels. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has begun developing a statewide network of electric vehicle charging stations, using seed funding from the Biden administration’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program.
Arizona will receive $76.5 million from the federal government over the next five years to establish electric vehicle charging stations along roads designated as alternative fuel corridors (AFCs). Arizona’s current and proposed AFCs according to its Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan follow all the major interstate highways running through the state.
The Federal Highway Administration approved Arizona’s plan last September. Each charging station will be located within one mile off of the designated highway, with at least four EV fast chargers. A full charge takes the average EV about 20-30 minutes. Each charging station — except for two — will be placed 50 miles apart. ADOT funding won’t be used to construct or maintain the charging stations. These charging stations will be privately owned. The private owners will put up 20 percent of the costs to construct the stations, with the federal government paying 80 percent.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Uber has teamed up with artificial intelligence (AI) ridership service Waymo, indicating a transition away from the use of drivers whose income relies on the ride-hailing service.
On Tuesday, the commuter and delivery service giant announced that this transformational partnership would begin in Phoenix. Both Waymo and Uber were founded in 2009.
Uber partnered with Waymo last summer for the commercial vehicles making up their freight transport fleet. Waymo’s vehicles are electric.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi predicted that driverless cars would be the new normal for travel.
“Uber provides access to a global and reliable marketplace across mobility, delivery, and freight,” said Khosrowshahi. “Fully autonomous driving is quickly becoming part of everyday life, and we’re excited to bring Waymo’s incredible technology to the Uber platform.”
Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said the partnership would improve travel safety for ride-hailing customers.
We’re excited to offer another way for people to experience the enjoyable and life-saving benefits of full autonomy,” said Mawakana. “Uber has long been a leader in human-operated ridesharing, and the pairing of our pioneering technology and all-electric fleet with their customer network provides Waymo with an opportunity to reach even more people.”
While driverless cars have negated the possibility of human error, they have presented unique issues in terms of road safety. In a viral video last year, a Waymo vehicle stalled in a Chandler intersection, blocked three lanes of traffic, and attempted to escape company handlers. The AI technology driving the car became confused by construction cones closing off access to a turn lane it needed to use. At one point, the car began to back up into oncoming traffic.
The passenger behind the viral video also attested that he’d been stranded on multiple occasions by similar driverless cars.
Unaddressed in either companies’ press releases on their partnership was the profit boost that Uber stands to gain from eliminating its drivers from the equation. The elimination of drivers would recoup the 75 percent of the fare fee afforded to drivers.
Uber and other similar companies, like Lyft, posed a unique challenge to the traditional ride-hailing and delivery services — namely, taxis. Uber upended the taxi industry, allowing individuals to offer their driving services on a flexible basis, with drivers generally supplementing their income rather than working endless hours to barely make ends meet, and giving riders more options for ride type at a cheaper cost.
Less than a decade after its industry shakeup, it looks like Uber will shake things up again with its embrace of AI over human drivers.
Waymo rolled out its driverless vehicles in downtown Phoenix last August.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Some illegal immigrants crossing the border in Yuma are renting rides through Uber, according to drivers from the San Francisco-based ride-hailing service. The migrants either admitted that they were crossing the border illegally or gave their status away with red flag behaviors: remote pickup locations alongside large groups, with hotels as their requested drop-off location.
The drivers first reported these crossings to Fox News, who kept the drivers’ identities anonymous. Uber spokespersons wouldn’t say if they were aware that their services were being used for illegal border crossings. Instead, the company explained that drivers were permitted to cancel rides if they felt unsafe. Drivers could also call police about a rider’s suspicious activity.
The drivers noted further that services rendered to admitted or suspected illegal immigrants increased dramatically after the Biden Administration announced that former President Donald Trump’s Migrant Protections Protocol (MPP) — or the “Remain in Mexico” policy — would be reinstated. A month earlier, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that it was terminating MPP.
Days later, Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls declared an emergency over the border crossings. Nicholls reported over 6,000 illegal immigrants crossing through Yuma over the five days preceding his emergency proclamation. In addition to the dangers posed by illegal immigrants, such as heightened COVID-19 spread and crime, Nicolls explained that crossers were posing a threat to their economic viability and the nation’s food security by damaging agriculture fields.
“The surge of migrants has and will continue to directly impact Yuma’s agriculture industry,” said Nicolls’ office. “Currently, migrants are passing on foot through active agriculture fields. The encroachment on active production fields results in food safety concerns and the destruction of crops, which leads to significant economic loss and property damage in the farming community, loss of agriculture-related jobs, and a threat to the nation’s food security.”
The border wall along Yuma has gaps where construction wasn’t finished. The Tucson and El Paso, Texas sectors of the border wall also have gaps. DHS announced last week that it would use congressional funding to close those gaps, as well as finish gates, guardrails, access roads, drainage systems, signs, and construction site cleanup.
A week prior to that, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) called on the Biden Administration to finish the border wall for better security.
“We need better border security technology. We also need to deal with some of the gaps in border fencing in the Yuma area, and the small gaps present a significant challenge for Border Patrol,” said Kelly.
According to Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), border crossings have increased by over 2,647 percent since October 1.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.