Thousands of tennis fans could claim a free ride to the Australian Open this summer as part of a program to get more people into electric cars.
Uber and Kia announced the project on Saturday, with the aim of offering more than 20,000 free rides in Melbourne over two weeks using a fleet of 50 electric vehicles.
The announcement comes weeks after a new vehicle efficiency standard came into effect and was expected to hit milestones for sales of low-emission cars within a year.
This is the second time the companies have offered free electric vehicle rides around the Australian Open tennis tournament. More than 10,000 rides were accepted last year.
With a larger electric fleet this year, Uber Australia and New Zealand managing director Emma Foley said the companies plan to increase their reach.
“We hope we can double the number of trips and miles traveled to transport people in a truly environmentally friendly way,” she said.
‘In Australia we now make more than 25,000 electric journeys every day.’
The project will be held during the Australian Open, from January 12 to 26, and there will be free rides available for Uber One members traveling to or from Melbourne’s tennis precinct, valued at $100.
Uber and Kia teamed up this summer to provide 20,000 free Uber rides in Melbourne
The rides are worth up to $100 and are for Uber One members going to or from the Australian Open at Melbourne Park
The electric fleet available for the project will consist of Kia EV6 and EV9 vehicles, said Kia Australia CEO Damien Meredith, but more than half of the fleet would consist of EV5 vehicles that only last two came onto the market months ago.
The rides could be some passengers’ first experience in an electric vehicle, he said, and the automaker planned to take the opportunity seriously.
“We have a responsibility to ensure that the general public has as much experience as possible with electric vehicles,” Meredith told AAP.
Australia New vehicle efficiency standard came into effect on January 1, setting an emissions cap for automakers’ fleets and aimed to encourage the import and adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles.
The regulations gave brands more certainty about the future of the auto industry, Meredith said, and encouraging drivers to try out the technology would be the next step for many brands.
“It’s really important now that there is a path, that there is consistency about what the legislation is and what manufacturers need to do,” he said.
“Now it’s up to us to convince the buying public that this is the path we should take.”
Electric car sales grew steadily to more than 91,000 new vehicles by 2024, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and Electric Vehicle Council, and represented 8.3 percent of the total market in December.