Thanks to our new partnership with BYD, a leading electric car manufacturer, the acquisition costs of electric vehicles for VTC drivers will be drastically reduced, helping to accelerate their adoption. This is a new envelope estimated at 8 million euros released as part of the “Electric Mobility Plan” to allow 3,000 drivers to switch to electric in 2025. An initiative which is added to around ten partners from the automotive sector such as Renault-Nissan, Stellantis, Tesla, or Hertz which are available for VTC drivers.
We announced a global partnership with BYD last summer to bring 100,000 new BYD electric vehicles to our platform. In addition to their affordable cost, BYD vehicles are particularly well suited to the VTC driver profession thanks to their wide range of models, their superior battery performance, their manufacturing quality, as well as their reduced maintenance and repair costs. .
Although VTC drivers are switching to electric five times faster than individuals, the price of electric vehicles remains the main obstacle to the transition. Thus, thanks to this new partnership, an eligible VTC driver will be able to acquire the BYD SEAL – an elegant, affordable and high-end sedan – or the ATTO 3 – the 100% electric SUV – at an affordable price.
The objective is thus to reduce the estimated additional cost of 15,000 euros between a second-hand hybrid vehicle (around €20,000), still widely popular with drivers, and the cost of a new electric vehicle (more than 40,000 € on average).
VTC drivers will therefore be able to benefit from the rate negotiated within the framework of our partnership and from the envelope of the driver's Electric Mobility Plan. which will be directly deducted from the purchase price of the vehicle.
Supporting VTC drivers in the transition to electric and moving away from diesel
In France, 16% of kilometers traveled on our platform in the third quarter of 2024 were done by drivers using electric vehicles, a rate twice as high as in the French automobile fleet.. We are now the first electric on-demand transport platform in France and in the world.
At the same time, thanks to a progressive plan started in 2021, we are phasing out diesel. There were only 7% of kilometers traveled by diesel vehicles in the third quarter on our platform, or 7 times less than the French population.
A feat when public aid for acquisitions is reduced a little more each year and the legislator has not set ambitious greening targets for company vehicles.
Continue efforts on recharging with a budget of 7 million euros
In 2024, we entered into two partnerships dedicated to drivers living in both individual and collective housing with ChargeMap and ChargeGuru. Eligible drivers purchasing or renting a 100% electric vehicle could choose to benefit from the provision of a charging card with a monthly credit of €250 for one year with Chargemap or free installation of a home charging station by ChargeGuru.
Six months later, nearly 2,500 drivers were able to benefit from this charging assistance. For 70% of them, this was a vector of acceleration in their transition.
This is why we are once again strengthening these two partnerships, for new VTC drivers switching to electric and for those already driving electric, and are releasing an additional envelope of 7 million euros to offer a charging offer to nearly 6,000 drivers.
