Latest news with #UberTechnologiesInc.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Uber to test new safety measure in US: Pairing women riders and drivers
Uber Technologies Inc. is piloting a new ride type in the US that will match female riders and drivers, expanding access to a safety feature it already offers in some international markets. Riders will see a new on-demand ride option called 'Women Drivers' alongside the existing UberX, Comfort, UberXL and Black offerings. (Unsplash/Representational) The service will launch in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Detroit over the next few weeks, the company said in a statement Wednesday. Riders will see a new on-demand ride option called 'Women Drivers' alongside the existing UberX, Comfort, UberXL and Black offerings. Customers can reserve such a trip in advance, or set their preference in the app settings to increase the likelihood of being matched with a woman driver. Female drivers, who make up about 1 in 5 of Uber's US driver population, can similarly choose that preference in the settings of their driver app. Drivers' eligibility for the program will be based on the gender listed on their license. For riders, it will be determined by their first name or whether they specified their gender as female on their Uber profile. 'It's about giving women more choice, more control, and more comfort when they ride and drive,' said Camiel Irving, vice president of operations in the US and Canada. Cities that have a bigger population of women drivers will be the ones that get the feature sooner, she said, but added that the three options are designed to allow different ways of matching without compromising wait times and service availability. The company also sees the option as a way to attract more female drivers to the platform. 'The product is really popular whenever we're able to launch it,' said Irving. 'Our expectation is that it's going to be just as popular in the US both with drivers and with prospective drivers.' The introduction of the feature comes nearly two years after rival Lyft Inc. introduced a similar offering in the US, underscoring a tit-for-tat competition between the two rideshare apps to win over customers with features tailored to certain demographics. Earlier this year, for instance, the two companies rolled out simplified versions of their apps for elderly riders in close succession. In May, Uber also introduced a $2.99 monthly pass aimed at commuters that lets users lock in prices for for favorite routes. The launch came months after Lyft debuted a similar product. However, unlike Lyft's women-matching program, which also includes non-binary users, Uber's product is solely for those with commonly identifiable feminine names or those who identify as female in the app. The company has had 'a couple of conversations' with LGBTQ organizations and concluded this 'is not quite the right way to serve the non-binary population right now,' Irving said in an interview. Uber launched the matching feature for female drivers in Saudi Arabia in 2019 to mark a landmark decision that granted women the right to drive. Since then, it said, it's completed more than 100 million such trips having expanded the feature to drivers in 40 countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, India and Mexico. It has also tested the feature for riders in Germany and France.
Los Angeles Times
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
Uber tests option to match female riders and drivers
Uber Technologies Inc. is piloting a new ride type in the US that will match female riders and drivers, expanding access to a safety feature it already offers in some international markets. The service will launch in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Detroit over the next few weeks, the company said in a statement Wednesday. Riders will see a new on-demand ride option called 'Women Drivers' alongside the existing UberX, Comfort, UberXL and Black offerings. Customers can reserve such a trip in advance, or set their preference in the app settings to increase the likelihood of being matched with a woman driver. Female drivers, who make up about 1 in 5 of Uber's US driver population, can similarly choose that preference in the settings of their driver app. Drivers' eligibility for the program will be based on the gender listed on their license. For riders, it will be determined by their first name or whether they specified their gender as female on their Uber profile. 'It's about giving women more choice, more control, and more comfort when they ride and drive,' said Camiel Irving, vice president of operations in the US and Canada. Cities that have a bigger population of women drivers will be the ones that get the feature sooner, she said, but added that the three options are designed to allow different ways of matching without compromising wait times and service availability. The company also sees the option as a way to attract more female drivers to the platform. 'The product is really popular whenever we're able to launch it,' said Irving. 'Our expectation is that it's going to be just as popular in the US both with drivers and with prospective drivers.' The introduction of the feature comes nearly two years after rival Lyft Inc. introduced a similar offering in the US, underscoring a tit-for-tat competition between the two rideshare apps to win over customers with features tailored to certain demographics. Earlier this year, for instance, the two companies rolled out simplified versions of their apps for elderly riders in close succession. In May, Uber also introduced a $2.99 monthly pass aimed at commuters that lets users lock in prices for for favorite routes. The launch came months after Lyft debuted a similar product. However, unlike Lyft's women-matching program, which also includes non-binary users, Uber's product is solely for those with commonly identifiable feminine names or those who identify as female in the app. The company has had 'a couple of conversations' with LGBTQ organizations and concluded this 'is not quite the right way to serve the non-binary population right now,' Irving said in an interview. Uber launched the matching feature for female drivers in Saudi Arabia in 2019 to mark a landmark decision that granted women the right to drive. Since then, it said, it's completed more than 100 million such trips having expanded the feature to drivers in 40 countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, India and Mexico. It has also tested the feature for riders in Germany and France. Lung writes for Bloomberg.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pony AI (PONY) Drops as Investors in Wait-and-See Mode for Uber Acquisition
Pony AI Inc. (NASDAQ:PONY) is one of the . Pony AI dropped its share prices by 3.37 percent on Monday to close at $13.20 apiece as investors were in a wait-and-see mode for any updates on Uber Technologies Inc.'s (NYSE:UBER) planned acquisition of the Chinese robotaxi firm's US subsidiary. Last week, reports surged that Uber's founder, Travis Kalanick, was eyeing to acquire Pony AI Inc.'s (NASDAQ:PONY) US arm, and that the ride-hailing giant has expressed its support to fund the acquisition. Copyright: dolgachov / 123RF Stock Photo Pony AI Inc. (NASDAQ:PONY) has been mulling over spinning off or selling its US arm since 2022, even going as far as creating a copy of its software. The buyout bid followed Pony AI Inc. (NASDAQ:PONY) and Uber Technologies Inc.'s (NYSE:UBER) partnership of expanding the former's international market presence, kicking off with key markets in the Middle East. While we acknowledge the potential of PONY as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Los Angeles Times
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
Uber drivers Are now more concerned about charging than EV cost
When it comes to convincing millions of drivers to get behind the wheel of electric vehicles, Uber Technologies Inc. has good news and bad news. First, the positive: Prices are coming down to levels at which EV cost is no longer the top issue preventing drivers in the US and UK from going electric. This is a first in the four years Uber has been surveying drivers. The challenge will be tackling the new No. 1 concern — charging difficulties — especially for a company that depends on drivers who typically lack access to home charging. Just over a third of Uber's current EV drivers in the US have a dedicated home charger. The share is even lower in Europe, at 27% in the UK and 13% in the Netherlands. Uber does have an ace up its sleeve in mitigating this issue. Last year, the company hired Rebecca Tinucci, the former head of charging infrastructure at Tesla Inc., to oversee its electrification efforts. Nine months into the job, she's brokered a partnership the company expects will improve charging access for 55,000 drivers in London, Boston and Phoenix, and is rolling out a tool to help 40 cities decide on where to locate their next public plugs. 'We've got to get to work,' Tinucci said in an interview. 'As comfortable as I am in the charging space, I fully recognize how difficult it is to do charging well.' Uber is partnering with London, Boston and Phoenix as part of C40 Cities, a group affiliated with Michael Bloomberg, the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP. In addition to contributing technical support, research and policy advocacy to those three cities, the company is launching what it calls an Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Estimator tool that will project future demand for EV charging from Uber drivers. The company is rolling out the service to cities covering almost 60% of EV drivers on the Uber platform. The tool is more than just in Uber's self-interest. The name of the game for charging-station operators is driving high utilization. Drivers doing pickups and drop-offs around the clock are just the sort of customer operators are looking for. 'There's an incredible base of demand there that we at Uber should be able to rally in support of developing more infrastructure,' Tinucci said. Uber already has seen this play out. Three years ago, the company invested £5 million ($6.73 million) toward installing 700 EV chargers across north and east London. Its chargers in the borough of Newham are being used at more than twice the national average rate. 'The challenge at Tesla was kind of single-focused around Tesla vehicles,' Tinucci said of her previous role. 'What brought me to Uber was the potential for impact. We have the largest EV fleet in the world, and we're just getting started.' Trudell and Lung write for Bloomberg.
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Business Standard
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- Business Standard
EV cost no longer a top concern as Uber drivers worry about charging access
When it comes to convincing millions of drivers to get behind the wheel of electric vehicles, Uber Technologies Inc. has good news and bad news. First, the positive: Prices are coming down to levels at which EV cost is no longer the top issue preventing drivers in the US and UK from going electric. This is a first in the four years Uber has been surveying drivers. The challenge will be tackling the new No. 1 concern — charging difficulties — especially for a company that depends on drivers who typically lack access to home charging. Just over a third of Uber's current EV drivers in the US have a dedicated home charger. The share is even lower in Europe, at 27 per cent in the UK and 13 per cent in the Netherlands. Uber does have an ace up its sleeve in mitigating this issue. Last year, the company hired Rebecca Tinucci, the former head of charging infrastructure at Tesla Inc., to oversee its electrification efforts. Nine months into the job, she's brokered a partnership the company expects will improve charging access for 55,000 drivers in London, Boston and Phoenix, and is rolling out a tool to help 40 cities decide on where to locate their next public plugs. 'We've got to get to work,' Tinucci said in an interview. 'As comfortable as I am in the charging space, I fully recognize how difficult it is to do charging well.' Uber is partnering with London, Boston and Phoenix as part of C40 Cities, a group affiliated with Michael Bloomberg, the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP. In addition to contributing technical support, research and policy advocacy to those three cities, the company is launching what it calls an Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Estimator tool that will project future demand for EV charging from Uber drivers. The company is rolling out the service to cities covering almost 60 per cent of EV drivers on the Uber platform. The tool is more than just in Uber's self-interest. The name of the game for charging-station operators is driving high utilization. Drivers doing pickups and drop-offs around the clock are just the sort of customer operators are looking for. 'There's an incredible base of demand there that we at Uber should be able to rally in support of developing more infrastructure,' Tinucci said. Uber already has seen this play out. Three years ago, the company invested £5 million ($6.73 million) toward installing 700 EV chargers across north and east London. Its chargers in the borough of Newham are being used at more than twice the national average rate. 'The challenge at Tesla was kind of single-focused around Tesla vehicles,' Tinucci said of her previous role. 'What brought me to Uber was the potential for impact. We have the largest EV fleet in the world, and we're just getting started.'
