Uber's electric bet on electric vehicles. What does the rise of EVs and autonomous vehicles mean for the future of mobility?

About this episode

The episode discusses the future of electric and autonomous vehicles in the ride-hailing industry, featuring insights from Uber executives.

The past year has been challenging for electric vehicles. In the first quarter of 2026, US EV sales were about 27 per cent below their level in the first quarter of last year. But the ride-hailing industry still sees a future that is electric, autonomous, and shared, and is placing a multi-billion dollar bet on it. Ride-hailing services such as Uber could be one of the key sectors supporting the electrification of road transport in the years to come. In this episode, host Ed Crooks is joined by Amy Myers Jaffe, director of NYU's Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab, and two guests from Uber. Andrew Cornelia is the company’s global head of electrification and sustainability, and Samarth Kedrawal is its global head of fleet and autonomous vehicles. Andrew and Samarth make the case for why the shift away from the internal combustion engine as the dominant technology for road transport is a question of when, not if. And the fuel price shock resulting from the conflict in the Middle East may be shortening the timeline. Uber's EV strategy is about more than just going green, Andrew says. In markets where the economics work, including London, Paris, and São Paulo, EV drivers…

People in this episode

Host: Ed Crooks

Guests: Amy Myers Jaffe, Andrew Cornelia, Samarth Kedrawal

Topics covered

• electric vehicles
• autonomous vehicles
• ride-hailing
• sustainability
• mobility
• transportation

Keywords

• electric vehicles
• Uber
• autonomous vehicles
• sustainability
• ride-hailing
• mobility
• charging infrastructure

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Uber, NYU

Places: London, Paris, São Paulo

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