Uber leans into affordability with "price lock" and new features
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Sachin Kansal, Uber chief product officer, spoke during Uber's event Wednesday about new features. Photo: Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Uber unveiled new features and ride options Wednesday — many driving home on affordability.
Why it matters: Consumers are feeling deeply pessimistic about the economy, according to the Conference Board's most recent consumer confidence survey.
- "What we have heard very clearly from users is that there's a lot of unpredictability," Sachin Kansal, Uber chief product officer, told Axios.
- "There's a lot of concern about things just being expensive," Kansal said. "So affordability and the need for affordable products is something that has come through loud and clear."
The big picture: The ride-hailing behemoth introduced the new and upcoming features, including a partnership with OpenTable and an update on autonomous driverless rides at its annual "Go-Get" event Wednesday in New York.
- Here's a rundown of some of Uber's announcements:
Uber, VW to launch shared autonomous rides
State of play: Uber said it is teaming up with Volkswagen to launch the first shared autonomous ride in Los Angeles in early 2026.
- Wendy Lee, Uber's director of autonomous mobility and delivery product, said it will add Volkswagen autonomous ID, Buzz AD electric vehicles to the platform. Testing begins later this year.
- "We believe that ultimately autonomous rides are going to make our streets safer," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said. "They're certainly going to eventually save you money, and they're going to be much, much better for the environment."
Uber Route Share
Zoom in: Uber calls Route Share its "most affordable ride option" and it's available along busy corridors during weekday commute hours in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Boston and Baltimore. More cities are expected in the future.
- Riders can select the Route Share option to see nearby routes with pickups every 20 minutes.
- Users will share the ride with up to two other passengers headed in the same direction and save "up to 50% compared to UberX."
Uber ride passes with price lock
Ride passes are designed to "help riders lock-in lower fares and keep costs predictable on trips they frequently take," Uber officials said.
- Riders pay $2.99 for the price lock pass to lock-in a price for 30 days or $50 of savings, whichever comes first.
- Price lock pass is now available for riders in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, Phoenix, San Francisco, Washington DC. and is beginning to roll out across the country and Brazil.
Uber's version of Prime Day: Uber One Member Days
The intrigue: The first-ever Uber One Member Days will be May 16-23 and the company says there will be thousands of "epic deals, special promos, and big savings just for Uber One members."
- There will be discounts on Uber rides, free food and discounts on Uber Eats orders and other savings on Uber partners including Costco, CVS, Starbucks and more.
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