Stellantis partners with Uber to tackle the electric vehicle market in France

Stellantis is partnering with Uber, to tackle the electric vehicle market in France. According to a joint presentation by the two platforms, car rental service provider Free2Move will also be part of the deal.

What we know so far about the Stellantis-Uber electric vehicle deal in France

Under the partnership, Free2Move will facilitate Uber’s plans to convert 50% of its fleet in France to electric vehicles. In addition, producing and selling more electric and hybrid cars is also part of Stellantis’ agenda. Last March, Carlos Tavares, the company’s CEO, presented the company’s plan. According to him, Stellantis is looking to double its global revenues to €300 billion per year by 2030. In addition, the Amsterdam-based multinational also intends to keep its profit margins high. It plans to achieve this through the launch of electric versions of its cars, including Jeep SUVs and RAM vans.

In total, Stellantis plans to bring 75 electric vehicle models to market within eight years. In addition, the automaker hopes to sell 5 million of these vehicles annually by 2030. Suggesting Stellantis’ ability to meet all of its sales targets, Carlos Tavares said at the time:

“We are proud to be a long-standing carmaker. This shows our ability to design and manufacture safe products on a large scale.”

However, like many major automakers, the company faces significant challenges in transforming its traditional combustion engines into zero-emission engines. Perhaps that’s why Stellantis is partnering with Uber to leverage the ride-sharing service’s French electric vehicle program.

A potential battle with Tesla for market share

As Stellantis continues to make progress on its electric vehicle mission, the company could also be competing with Tesla. The perennial industry leader, led by Elon Musk, is in various stages of revolutionary breakthroughs in the broader technology space. For example, Tesla plans to launch its fully self-driving cars in the U.S. and Europe by the end of the year. In addition, the Texas-based company also has its eye on a line of autonomous humanoid robots. Called “Optimus Robots,” these technology products would be capable of operating in a multitude of environments and situations. These include Tesla’s car manufacturing plants as well as private homes.

However, despite the boldness of its robot lineup, Tesla also faces scrutiny and skepticism regarding the functionality of the robots. According to some, robots must be capable of performing tasks beyond the scope of routine duties. As Nancy Cooke, a professor of human systems engineering at Arizona State University, puts it, Optimus robots must be different. In her words:

“If it just makes the robot walk, or dance, that has been done before. It’s not very impressive.”

Nancy Cooke said, however, that if the robots prove effective, it could boost Tesla’s stock.