May 25, 2023
Ridesharing company Uber is going to offer robotaxis in the US. Uber’s partner is Waymo, a subdivision of the Alphabet group, Google’s parent company. An initial collaboration is scheduled for later this year in Phoenix City. The exact number of self-driving taxis remains undisclosed. The association surprises as the two companies were entangled in a […]
May 23, 2023
The Brussels Parliament’s special Uber Commission has not found any “illegal or illicit practices” on the part of government members or illegal lobbying practices by both Uber and actors in the traditional taxi sector. Those findings, 20 in general, were approved on Monday by all political groups except PVDA, and 14 recommendations were also formulated. […]
May 11, 2023
Technology company Uber, which offers taxi rides and meal deliveries with its app, is to expand its services. This summer, it will launch a feature in the UK that will allow users to book flights directly in its app. The feature was launched on Uber’s UK app for multimodal travel options last year, and the […]
April 01, 2023
The Brussels Parliament’s special Uber Commission concluded hearings on Thursday regarding lobbying contacts between service and ride-hailing company Uber and the Brussels government during the preparation of the reform of the taxi ordinance. The contacts between then-Mobility Minister Pascal Smet (One.Brussels-Vooruit) and Uber lobbyist Mark McGann stood out. Smet denies the allegations. “No incriminating element can […]
January 18, 2023
US car rental company Hertz will make 25 000 electric vehicles available to Uber drivers in Europe by 2025. The two companies announced this in a joint statement on Tuesday. The first vehicles will be available for hire in London from January. The initiative will then be extended to Paris, Amsterdam, and other major cities. […]
October 27, 2022
The rumors have been circulating for years, and now Audi has made it official. A picture of its first Formula 1 car shows that the premium carmaker from Ingolstadt will officially participate in the racing series as of 2026. Audi is partnering with Sauber, currently running its F1 program with Alfa Romeo. While Audi will […]
October 25, 2022
The European Trade Union Confederation, an umbrella organization of European trade unions, is taking action against taxi and courier service Uber at the European Parliament. Remarkably, the socialist union ABVV-BTB is also participating, even though it reached a ‘historic’ agreement with Uber last week. Hearings will take place in the European Parliament on Tuesday about […]
October 24, 2022
Socialist transport union BTB-ABVV has struck a deal with US taxi and meal delivery service Uber concerning self-employed drivers and couriers. The agreement is the first of its kind within the EU. However, the deal is encountering quite a lot of incomprehension from Christian and liberal unions, several Mediahuis newspapers report. Historic turnaround The socialist […]
October 05, 2022
With Uber Taxi, the Californian mobility provider Uber introduces a new feature for rides in Brussels, allowing conventional or ‘traditional’ taxi drivers to offer rides through the Uber app. The company reported this in a press release on Wednesday. After the Brussels parliament approved the new Taxi Plan in July, which aims to unify the […]
August 22, 2022
Uber has announced that it is opening its app in Brussels to conventional or ‘traditional’ taxi drivers. That is what the newspaper La Dernière Heure writes. The Belgian director of the Californian company, Laurent Slits, says he is taking this step in response to the recent reform of the ‘taxi plan’ in the capital. But […]
July 12, 2022
Also in Belgium, Uber used dubious practices to gain a foothold, for example by exerting pressure on governments. This is evident from the revelations of the Uber Files by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), of which Belgian media such as Knack, De Tijd, and Le Soir are members. In France, it is the […]
July 12, 2022
Nearly two months after his re-election, the French opposition is summoning French president Emmanuel Macron to explain himself after the revelation by the press of privileged exchanges between Uber and Macron when he was at Bercy. The left-wing alliance Nupes wants a parliamentary commission of inquiry, while the far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National) is asking […]
March 25, 2022
Ride-hailing giant Uber is smoking the peace pipe with the New York yellow cabs by integrating their service on its app. Users and yellow cab drivers will be informed before booking on the nature of their ride and subsequent prices. Each has the option to reject. Nothing much changes on the streets, as only taxis […]
December 10, 2021
On Thursday, the Brussels government approved a temporary solution allowing LVC drivers (mainly Uber drivers) to resume their taxi services under strictly defined conditions. The arrangement will run until the ordinance on the reform of the taxi sector comes into force. According to Minister-President Rudi Vervoort (PS), the temporary solution allows around 2 000 LVC […]
December 09, 2021
After Brussels and London, the set-employed status of Uber’s drivers’ is now also being questioned by the French justice system. The investigation for “concealed” work was opened in 2015 and was dormant for long. But the case was reactivated in 2020, and according to the Paris prosecutor’s office, it is now being closely watched again. […]
December 07, 2021
Uber’s way of working is not only under pressure in Brussels. Less than two weeks after the Brussels Court of Appeal ruled that drivers can no longer work with the Uber app in the capital, a British court ruled against the American taxi service. In London, a high court ruled against Uber on Monday, saying […]
November 30, 2021
A few hundred taxi drivers demonstrated on Tuesday morning in front of the Brussels Parliament to oppose the proposed temporary ordinance for Uber-related workers. They argue that social gains are at stake in the face of extreme liberalization of the world of work. An ordinance proposal, which adapts or temporarily suspends certain provisions of the […]
November 25, 2021
The Brussels Court of Appeal ruled on Wednesday that drivers can no longer work with the Uber app. Concretely, the 2 000 Uber drivers will no longer be able to use the app as of Friday 18th, making the app virtually unusable in the capital. According to Laurent Slits, manager of Uber in Belgium, the […]
November 18, 2021
US startup Ample is targetting Europe to introduce its battery-swapping technology through an extended partnership with Uber. The ride-hailing company wants to have half of the kilometers driven in seven capital cities in Europe to be electric by 2025. That includes London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Berlin, Paris, Madrid, and Lisbon. Ample’s fully automated battery swapping stations […]
September 30, 2021
It was a long wait for a new taxi reform in the Brussels Region, but yesterday Brussels Prime Minister Rudi Vervoort (PS) finally came forward with a preliminary draft ordinance. On Thursday, a long procession of dozens to hundreds of Uber vehicles gathered at the Koning Albert II-avenue in Brussels to drive together towards the […]
September 23, 2021
Still waiting on the Taxi Plan promised by the Brussels regional government for this summer, Uber makes its discontent known. In March, legislators dusted off a 1995 order banning chauffeurs from using their smartphones for their activity. Since then, Uber drivers have worked in legal uncertainty. The American ride-hailing company calls for a harmonized status […]
September 13, 2021
Waiting on the Brussels Region’ Taxi Plan, the sector has come up with its own proposals regarding the operating conditions of chauffeur-driven cars. According to the three associations, a distinction between the two jobs must be made clear, with taxis on one side and private chauffeurs such as those by embassies and VIP events on […]
August 06, 2021
Ride-hailing platform Uber struggles to attract drivers who left the company earlier because the demand for rides had fallen sharply during the corona pandemic. But riders returned to Uber this spring more quickly than drivers, causing long waiting times and higher prices. To tempt drivers back to the platform, Uber increased incentives and bonuses, and […]
June 16, 2021
Uber and Kia Europe have announced a new deal that will give Uber drivers discounted rates on Kia electric cars, including the e-Niro and e-Soul. This follows similar partnerships with Nissan and Hyundai, designed to make it easier for Uber drivers to buy electric vehicles. The new deal does not include (yet?) Kia’s latest model […]
March 05, 2021
During a protest in Brussels on Thursday, Uber drivers once again expressed their dissatisfaction with the ban on the use of smartphones for limousine drivers, under which Uber falls, which has been in force since Monday in the Brussels capital region. The demonstrators call for an urgent modernization of the entire taxi sector. They fear […]
March 02, 2021
The majority of the Brussels government is divided on the decision that Uber drivers are, since Monday, no longer allowed to use their smartphones for orders for rides. On Twitter, Brussels Minister Sven Gatz (Open Vld) and Brussels State Secretary Pascal Smet (sp.a-one.Brussels) are raising their voices against their government’s measure. The current regulations state […]
December 30, 2020
Uber is evolving from a taxi service to a mobility platform, and the company wants to make things much greener. Via Uber Green, half of all journeys will be emission-free by 2025. To reduce the CO2 footprint of the various journeys, Uber does not want to offer taxi services exclusively by car. It also wants […]
November 05, 2020
On November 9th, Uber will start its taxi service in Flanders. The American cab company announced this on Wednesday. Until now, Uber has only been active in Belgium in Brussels and at Zaventem airport. Via the app, you can now order an UberX throughout Flanders, with the highest availability in Antwerp, Ghent, and Leuven. The […]
September 30, 2020
Uber is interested in buying the ride-hailing service Free Now from German carmakers Daimler AG and BMW Group, part of the larger merged mobility platform Your Now. As the corona crisis thwarted the attempt to attract external investors, the Germans are focusing on generating cash and improving efficiency, American news agency Bloomberg writes. Widespread travel […]
September 29, 2020
The transport and taxi company, Uber, has its taxi license back in London. A British court ruled that the American company has done enough to comply with the conditions. Uber had lost its license last year because Transport for London (TfL), which issues the licenses in the British capital, found the company to be in […]
September 09, 2020
The American ride-hailing company, Uber, wants to become an emission-free platform by 2040. A first step will be to make at least half of all Uber rides emission-free by 2025 in Brussels and several other European cities. The city of Amsterdam, however, is even more ambitious: it wants to have all transport services in the […]
August 21, 2020
At the last moment, a Californian appeals court has granted ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft their request for an emergency stay. That overrules temporarily the preliminary injunction that forces both companies from this Friday to reclassify their drivers as employees. A narrow escape from an otherwise impending shutdown in California. Uber CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, said […]
August 11, 2020
Judge Ethan Schulman of the Californian Superior Court has granted a preliminary injunction that forces Uber and Lyft to reclassify their drivers as employees instead of independent workers. The order is to go into effect in ten days. Uber and Lyft are raising hell and “will immediately appeal”. A preliminary injunction is “an order prohibiting […]
August 10, 2020
For the first time ever, Uber made more money from deliveries than Uber passenger rides. In the second quarter, its revenues from rides fell by two-thirds. The number of active monthly users fell from 99 million last year to 55 million. Meal deliveries doubled. The California-based company reported a net loss of $1,8 billion and […]
June 30, 2020
The Antwerp city council has abolished the city taxi regulations, which allows Uber to operate in the city from now on. By deregulating taxi services in the city, more competition will become possible, which should benefit mobility. According to Antwerp Alderman for Mobility Koen Kennis (N-VA), the decision is a consequence of the new Flemish […]
June 25, 2020
Uber is starting a taxi service with electric cars. Clients are able to order a fully electric taxi through an app. A taxi ride with Uber Green will cost two euros more than a regular ride. 350 taxi drivers The Netherlands is the first country to experiment with this initiative. Uber is starting with 350 […]
June 19, 2020
Antwerp, Ghent, and Leuven agree in an open letter to the conditions of the coalition #TrueCostofUber. The coalition states that Uber must commit itself to only carry out 100% emission-free journeys by 2025, and at least 50% shared trips by 2030. In doing so, they support the terms of #TrueCostofUber, an international campaign launched by […]
May 18, 2020
The free Dutch traffic and navigation app warning drivers for traffic jams or speed checks, is launching a package delivery service, Flitsmeister Pickup. It invites its 1,7 million users to participate in an ‘Uber-like’ parcel delivery service for storekeepers. Retailers who want to send a parcel can contact Flitsmeister, and Flitsmeister, in its turn, then […]
March 05, 2020
The highest level of French Justice, the Court of Cassation, announced on Wednesday that Uber has a subordination relationship with its workers and, therefore, their self-employed status is judged as fictitious. The ride-hailing company isn’t forced to change any of its workers, new or older, statuses. “The self-employed status is due in particular to the […]
January 09, 2020
The Uber taxi app indicates that from now on it will be active in Belgium not only in Brussels, but also in Louvain, and Namur. In a reaction, the Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL) asks Uber to opt for 100% electric vehicles and to cooperate with public transport instead of competing with it. Low-cost taxi service […]
December 28, 2017
A recent study states that the use of services like Uber or Lyft (online car hiring with driver) is causing more traffic jams in the city of New York because the number of cars is still increasing. The situation of traffic being constantly blocked in New York is still getting worse. Average speed during peak […]
December 21, 2017
“Uber is a transport company and has to apply with local legislation in the member states”, the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg ruled on Wednesday. This means in most European countries Uber will be considered a taxi service, needing a licence. Professional drivers In many European countries where Uber is present in larger cities […]
December 14, 2017
In October 2016 the data of about 100.000 Belgian users were hacked, as was mentioned by the Uber website on Wednesday. Worldwide some 57 million users and drivers of the American taxi service company were victim of the data leak. Subcontractor End November the new CEO of the company, Dara Khosrowshahi, explained in a blog […]
November 22, 2017
On Tuesday Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has revealed that personal data of some 57 million Uber users, clients and drivers, has been hacked at the end of 2016. Data consisted of names, electronic addresses and mobile phone numbers, the CEO confirmed in a press release. No bank card data External expert assessment confirms that the […]
November 21, 2017
Uber, worldwide operating transportation technology company, has ordered 24.000 Volvo XC90s with the Swedish-Chinese car manufacturer for its future autonomous driving fleet. The cars will be build on the Volvo’s SPA platform (Scalable Product Architecture) for bigger cars like the XC90 SUV and will be delivered between 2019 and 2021. Volvo didn’t say how many […]
November 09, 2017
During the Lisbon Web Summit, Uber chief product officer Jeff Holden confirmed a partnership with NASA for its future air taxis. Part of the Uber Elevate program, the company wants to revolutionize the urban air transport with small electric air taxis by 2023. Flying taxis With Uber Elevate, the amercian company aims at a friendly […]
November 07, 2017
Uber Belgium has listened to the different demands from its drivers and the company will now offer more flexibility, reduce the passenger free cancel period to 2 minutes and charge the passenger 25 cent/min when the driver has to wait more than 2 minutes. Job’s attracticeness Before, we put our priority on growth and perhaps […]
October 25, 2017
Uber has created a fake city near Pittsburgh (US) on an old industrial lot to test autonomous cars in “real world conditions”. It is also used to train the future security drivers that will be present in Uber’s autonomous cars in case something goes wrong. On an old industrial lot of 17 acres, Uber has […]
March 28, 2023
With the final life cycle of internal combustion engines (ICE) in sight, Audi has decided to change its model naming structure to differentiate its fuel-powered models from its electric vehicles. As a result, new EVs will have an even number (A4, A6, A8), while ICE-powered models will be odd-numbered (A3, A5, A7). But the e-tron […]
March 07, 2023
Agricultural machine specialist Fendt has presented a prototype of a field tractor equipped with hydrogen fuel cells at the German Hydrogen Summit in Straubing. Two units will be supplied for testing in the region of Lower Saxony as of next month. Fendt participates in the H2Agrar project, which researches the potential role of hydrogen in […]
February 22, 2023
The American transport company Lime, known for its free-floating e-scooters and bikes, has posted strong growth of 33% in 2022. The San Francisco-based company recorded a turnover of 466 million dollars (+33% year-on-year), with a gross operating surplus of 4 million dollars at the end, a first for the company. “2022 was our best and […]
February 20, 2023
Formula 1 CEO and ex-Scuderia Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali has responded to the EU banning combustion cars from 2035 onward, saying that his sport will never go fully electric. But how will the sport become sustainable and stay relevant, having justified its existence in the past as an R&D activity for future road car […]
February 06, 2023
Ford and Red Bull have announced their partnership for the 2026 Formula 1 season, the year where new technical regulations move the sport toward sustainability. Ford and Red Bull will work together on the power units for both Red Bull Racing and its sister team AlphaTauri. The current championship defender Red Bull had been looking […]
January 19, 2023
Chinese SAIC daughter MG, the self-appointed heir to Brittain’s iconic sports car brand, has launched into hydrogen, showing the Euniq 7 FCEV at Auto Expo 2023 in Dehli, India. The 5,2-meter long MPV offering seating for seven and a range of 605 km (NEDC) is said to be a demonstration vehicle, as no plans to […]
January 09, 2023
Andretti Global, a spin-off of the American racing squad competing in IndyCar and Formula E, has clinched Cadillac as a partner in its bid to enter the Formula 1 World Championship. Andretti-Cadillac hopes to enter F1 as new engine regulations boost sustainability in the series, but the existing teams don’t seem to want to share […]
December 20, 2022
The Walloon government has approved a draft decree to reform the taxi sector to open up the market and integrate innovations without deregulating the activity. The authorities aim to promote integrated mobility, treating the sector’s professionals fairly to guarantee quality and sustainable service, Walloon Mobility minister Philippe Henry (Ecolo) said. In principle, with this taxi […]
October 25, 2022
Corda Campus, the Belgian tech campus in Hasselt (Limburg), comes with a ‘European scoop’: a Chinese self-driving e-scooter will pick up passengers on the campus, let them drive to their destination, and then returns fully autonomous to one of the five charging stations within the site. The vehicle is the Chinese Segway Ninebot Kickscooter T60, […]
October 25, 2022
French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the Paris Motor Show ‘Mondial de l’Auto’ last week. But in the wake of the difficulties almost all motor shows are experiencing post-pandemic, the Mondial seems to have lost its global character. As a result, only 400 000 visitors showed up, while the previous edition attracted more than a million. […]
September 28, 2022
After Renault proposed its 42 000 employees in its home country a ‘purchasing power’ premium of up to 1 000 euros, Stellantis will pay its French employees €1 400 extra in October. The entire premium will only apply to those, part-time employees included, who earn less than two times the official minimum wage or 60% […]
September 22, 2022
Who says a birthday cake can’t be spicy? Celebrating 50 years of its R5 icon, Renault pulls the veils of the R5 Turbo 3E, a commemorative concept car following in the footsteps of the iconic Turbo series. This all-electric sports version, limping between the real and virtual world, will be showcased to the public at […]
