Uber Freight declares ‘electric trucks are finally here’ with its first EV pilot program
Uber Freight is teaming up with California-based WattEV, an electric trucking and charging infrastructure company, to launch the company’s first zero-emission electric truck pilot.
Uber Freight announces its first electric truck pilot
“Electric trucks are finally here,” Uber Freight head of sustainability Illina Frankiv declared after announcing the collaboration.
Uber’s (the rideshare company) commercial trucking division, Uber Freights, revealed the strategic partnership Tuesday as part of a joint effort to advance zero-emission freight transportation.
The collaboration will deploy electric trucks on select routes starting in Southern California with plans to grow nationwide using WattEV’s electric heavy-duty transportation platform.
CHEP, a global supply chain solutions leader, will be the first shipper to participate in the pilot as it works toward cutting emissions from its value chain. As Marisa Sanchez Urrea, Brambles (CHEPs parent company) director of global supply chain decarbonization, explains:
Our business relies on heavy-duty road transport, which is one of the biggest challenges to transition our value chain to net-zero emissions by 2040, CHEP’s long-term decarbonisation goal. This first electric truck pilot in the U.S., in partnership with Uber Freight and WattEV, is a step in the right direction as we move towards a net positive impact.
In addition, WattEV is developing a nationwide network of heavy-duty electric charging solutions, starting in Southern California that’s designed for EV truck fleets.
The pilot program will help the company expand its network as it develops routes from the Port of Long Beach to the Inland Empire and Central Valley, with plans to expand to North Carolina and Arizona.
WattEV’s electric innovations, combined with the Uber Freight platform, allow shippers like CHEP to book, schedule, and complete loads while tracking the status, loading key performance indicators, and managing paperwork all in one place.
Uber Freight has built one of the most extensive logistics networks with over 130,000 carriers and thousands of shippers from Fortune 500 companies like LG, AB InBev, Nestle, and Land O’ Lakes.
Electrek’s Take
Transitioning heavy-duty freight trucks to electric will be critical in reducing the transportation sector’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
According to EPA data, transportation contributed the most GHG emissions of any US economic sector in 2020, with 27%. Although light-duty passenger vehicles account for the vast majority (57%), medium and heavy-duty trucks still represent 26% of all GHG emissions in transportation.
Freight movement in the US accounted for nearly a third (31%) of all transportation in 2019 and is expected to grow exponentially over the next several years if something isn’t done.
Uber’s new collaboration with WattEV and CHEP will serve as an example as the partners learn valuable insights through the electric truck pilot that can be used to cut emissions from freight transportation as we advance.
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Tesla’s Q2 results are in, and they are way, way down from Q2 of 2024. At the same time, Nissan seems to be in serious trouble and the first-ever all-electric Dodge muscle car is getting recalled because its dumb engine noises are the wrong kind of dumb engine noises. All this and more on today’s deeply troubled episode of Quick Charge!
We’ve also got an awesome article from Micah Toll about a hitherto unexplored genre of electric lawn equipment, a $440 million mining equipment deal, and a list of incompetent, corrupt, and stupid politicians who voted away their constituents’ futures to line their pockets.
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OpenAI is distancing itself from Robinhood‘s latest crypto push after the trading platform began offering tokenized shares of OpenAI and SpaceX to users in Europe.
“These ‘OpenAI tokens’ are not OpenAI equity,” OpenAI wrote on X. “We did not partner with Robinhood, were not involved in this, and do not endorse it.”
The company said that “any transfer of OpenAI equity requires our approval — we did not approve any transfer,” and warned users to “please be careful.”
Robinhood announced the launch Monday from Cannes, France, as part of a broader product showcase focused on tokenized equities, staking, and a new blockchain infrastructure play. The company’s stock surged above $100 to hit a new all-time high following the news.
“These tokens give retail investors indirect exposure to private markets, opening up access, and are enabled by Robinhood’s ownership stake in a special purpose vehicle,” a Robinhood spokesperson said in response to the OpenAI post.
Robinhood offered 5 euros worth of OpenAI and SpaceX tokens to eligible EU users who signed up to trade stock tokens by July 7. The assets are issued under the EU’s looser investor restrictions via Robinhood’s crypto platform.
“This is about expanding access,” said Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood’s SVP and GM of crypto. “The goal with tokenization is to let anyone participate in this economy.”
The episode highlights the dynamic between crypto platforms seeking to democratize access to financial products and the companies whose names and equity are being represented on-chain
U.S. users cannot access these tokens due to regulatory restrictions.
Despite the warnings, BYD continues introducing new discounts. On Wednesday, BYD’s luxury off-road brand began offering over 50% Huawei’s smart driving tech.
BYD introduces new discounts on smart driving tech
After BYD cut prices again in May, the China Automobile Manufacturers Association (CAMA) warned that the ultra-low prices are “triggering a new round of price war panic.”
Although they didn’t single out BYD, it was pretty obvious. BYD slashed prices across 22 of its vehicles by up to 34%, triggering several automakers to follow suit in China.
BYD’s cheapest EV, the Seagull, typically starts at about $10,000 (66,800 yuan). After the price cuts, the Seagull is listed at under $8,000 (55,800 yuan).
It doesn’t look like China’s EV leader plans to slow down anytime soon. Fang Cheng Bao, BYD’s luxury off-road brand, introduced new discounts on Huawei’s smart driving tech on Wednesday.
The limited-time offer cuts the price of Huawei’s Qiankun Intelligent Driving High-end Function Package to just 12,000 yuan ($1,700).
Buyers who order the smart driving tech in July will save over 50% compared to its typical price of 32,000 yuan ($4,500).
Earlier this year, Fang Chang Bao launched the Tai 3, its most affordable vehicle, starting at 139,800 yuan ($19,300). The Tai 3 is about the size of the Tesla Model Y, but costs about half as much.
The Tai 3 will spearhead a new sub-brand of electric SUVs following the more premium Bao 8 and Bao 5 hybrid SUVs.
BYD’s luxury off-road brand sold 18,903 vehicles last month, up 50% from May and 605% compared to last year. Fang Cheng Bao has now sold over 10,000 vehicles for three consecutive months.
The Chinese EV giant sold 382,585 vehicles in total in June, an increase of 12% from last year. In the first half of the year, BYD’s cumulative sales reached over 2.1 million, a YOY increase of 33%.
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