Forget rideshares, Uber will rent you a party bus

Uber continues to point out that it has grand ambitions that go far past the ride-sharing service that it first grew to become identified for. At the company’s second annual, product-focused Go/Get occasion, Uber announced a host of new features centered totally on increasing its choices in each the journey and supply classes. 

Travel might sound apparent, given Uber’s background, however most likely probably the most notable new providing is just known as Uber Travel; its focus helps you get round when you’re not in your house metropolis. It’s an integration with Gmail that may pull particulars out of your inbox like resort, flight and restaurant reservations and group it collectively within the Uber app. The level, after all, is that you can then schedule rides for every of those occasions, and Uber will give 10 % again in Uber Cash when you do. Uber Travel goes stay in the present day within the US and will be obtainable in Canada inside a few weeks.

Of course, you could also be understandably cautious about linking your Gmail account to Uber. I requested the company about what protections they’ve in place, and a spokesperson word that integrations with Gmail all need to bear a safety evaluation and in addition get a letter of verification from a third party that Google chooses. Uber was verified by this course of, and the company additionally has to observe the information privateness necessities present in Google’s API Services User Data Policy.

Another moderately unconventional new service is named Uber Charter. This lets you reserve massive automobiles immediately by Uber — assume issues like party buses, coaches, passenger vans and so forth. It’s not clear how far prematurely you’ll must e book these items, however the profit is that you’ll see up-front pricing for no matter type of automobile you want. Uber says that is coming to “select cities” beginning this summer season.

Uber undoubtedly has bigger gatherings on its thoughts with that new options, and Uber Vouchers might be equally useful for weddings and different occasions. Let’s say you need to make it simpler on your company to get to an occasion. Uber Vouchers lets you fill in occasion particulars like the placement, set a most quantity that you will pay. Once that is set, you can share a code along with your company and their rides will be paid for out of the pool of money you put apart for these journeys. Uber’s been doing this for companies already, however now anybody can use the voucher system.

Numerous different bulletins Uber is making concentrate on its supply providers. Earlier in the present day, the company made an announcement that it was launching two completely different autonomous supply pilots in Los Angeles, one with autonomous automobile company Motional and the second with Serve, which will do deliveries with autonomous robots (the Serve robotic is pictured above).

The different new supply options aren’t fairly as large a deal, however they will truly be obtainable to folks not in LA. For starters, Uber Eats will quickly assist voice ordering with the Google Assistant. As you would possibly count on, you merely say “Hey Google” after which ask your telephone to order by asking for particular objects from particular retailers. This will solely work on Android for starters, however hopefully Uber Eats customers with iPhones will get this function as effectively (or one thing comparable with Siri). Google Assistant integration is rolling out this summer season, at which level I think about we’ll get extra specifics on precisely the way it works. 

Uber Eats will additionally quickly be obtainable in a handful of sports activities arenas and stadiums, as effectively. Obviously, you will not have drivers bringing meals to the venue — as a substitute, you can place an order from the world’s eateries and go decide it up at your comfort. You can skip the road and go straight to pick-up as soon as your order is prepared, and Uber says it will work with meals, beer, merchandise and extra. This new program is initially rolling out at Dodger Stadium and Angel Stadium in LA, Yankee Stadium in New York, the Capitol One Arena in Washington, DC, Minute Maid Park in Houston, PayPal Park in San Jose, and internationally at Roazhon Park in Rennes, France. 

Finally, Uber has a few new options particularly centered on electrical automobiles. Uber Green has let you request a experience from a hybrid or electrical automobile for a whereas now, however the brand new “Comfort Electric” possibility particularly lets you request a experience in a “premium EV” (assume a Tesla or Polestar). This is obtainable for starters in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Dubai.

Meanwhile, Uber drivers utilizing EVs will get some new instruments to assist make their lives simpler. There’s a charging map constructed into the Uber app for drivers that reveals the closest EV chargers, their charging speeds and navigation to get there — this could make it simpler for drivers to prime up their vehicles throughout a shift. This is a part of a new EV Hub within the app that provides drivers data and incentives on switching to an EV when the time comes. Among the main points it contains is a value of possession estimate for an EV versus a gas-powered automobile. The car-buying market is a bit wild proper now, and it’d take years earlier than you begin to see value financial savings if you simply purchase a new EV to interchange a practical fuel automobile, however drivers who could be interested by a new automobile could possibly discover some helpful instruments right here.

All this information comes shortly after Uber introduced its quarterly earnings, a report that confirmed the company was bouncing again from the pandemic higher than its rival Lyft. That’s at the least in some half due to the relative variety of Uber’s choices — certainly, Uber Eats performed a big position in retaining business up as conventional rides tanked in 2020. While none of in the present day’s bulletins on their very own will probably make a big influence on the company’s business, it does assist paint a image for the way Uber sees itself rising sooner or later.