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BUSINESS Wednesday 9 september 2020
Uber incentivizes drivers to switch to electric vehicles

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ 20% off vehicle charging
AP Business Writer equipment. The Bolt's start-
NEW YORK (AP) — Uber is ing price is about $37,000.
offering incentives to driv- Uber also has negotiated
ers to transition to cleaner discounts with other com-
vehicles while acknowl- panies ranging from 10%
edging that emissions from to 50% off for its drivers to
its rides have risen in recent charge electric vehicles in
years. different locations.
The San Francisco-based Altogether, Uber plans to
ride-hailing giant said Tues- spend $800 million on pro-
day that a ride in one of its grams to help hundreds of
vehicles remains 41% more thousands of drivers switch
carbon-intensive than tak- to electric vehicles by 2025.
ing a trip in a personal car "Transportation demand is
with others. Uber studied 4 growing faster than any-
billion rides that it provided thing else and we haven't
from 2017-2019 and found done nearly enough as a
that while ridership grew community to take it down,
36.6%, the average carbon to take down our carbon,"
intensity for rides declined Tsay said.
6%, meaning rides were While Uber's commitment
becoming more efficient. In this Jan. 24, 2020 file photo, an Uber driver's vehicle is seen after the company launched service states it will work with drivers
But the company admitted in Vancouver, British Columbia. to make the transition more
that its carbon footprint in- Associated Press cost-effective and profit-
creased as ridership grew. able for them, "we know
"We can do a lot better," quarter, and Lyft's num- buying carbon offsets. Lyft, vehicles in more than 15 cit- that we can't let up the
said Shin-pei Tsay, director ber of active riders fell 60% which operates in the U.S. ies in the U.S. and Canada. pressure to see this commit-
of policy, cities and trans- compared to the same and Canada, said in June Some of that extra money ment through in a way that
portation at Uber. "Driving time last year. that its rides would be in will come from riders who benefits drivers," said Re-
down carbon intensity and But both companies are 100% electric vehicles by will pay $1 extra to select bekah Whilden, campaign
lowering emissions is well banking on an eventual re- 2030. an "Uber Green" trip in an representative with Sierra
within reach." turn. Uber said all rides will A major hurdle to convert- electric or hybrid vehicle. Club's Clean Transportation
Many people have shied be in electric vehicles by ing to electric vehicles is General Motors is partner- for All. "We need all hands
away from traveling in 2030 in the U.S., Canada cost. To help drivers make ing with Uber to offer dis- on deck from companies
shared vehicles due to the and Europe. It plans to be the switch, Uber drivers will counts to Uber drivers, pro- to tackle pollution, com-
pandemic. Gross bookings a fully zero-emissions plat- earn an extra 50 cents per viding a $2,400 to $2,750 bat the climate crisis, and
for Uber's mobility business form by 2040, which on the ride for hybrid vehicles and discount for them to buy a commit to equitable labor
plunged 73% in the second corporate side may involve $1.50 extra for fully-electric Chevrolet Bolt vehicle and standards."q
TikTok scrambles to remove suicide video clips, ban users

By KELVIN CHAN our moderation teams, the original video last
AP Business Writer have been detecting and month on the day it was
LONDON (AP) — TikTok says blocking these clips for vio- streamed and has "used
it's working to remove vid- lating our policies against automation technology
eos of a man apparently content that displays, prais- to remove copies and up-
taking his own life and ban- es, glorifies, or promotes sui- loads since that time."
ning users that keep trying cide," TikTok said in a state- Social media users have
to spread the clips on the ment. been warning others about
popular social media plat- "We are banning accounts the clips, saying some have
form. that repeatedly try to up- been edited to include
It's the latest example of load clips," the company shots of cats to trick view-
the ongoing struggle by big said, adding it appreciat- ers. Others are posting
tech companies to police ed users who reported the screenshot of the video's
their platforms for harmful content. beginning to make peo-
content amid increasing TikTok has become very ple aware of what clips to
pressure from regulators. popular with teens largely avoid.
The video was originally because of the company's TikTok urged people This Feb. 25, 2020, file photo, shows the icon for TikTok in New
livestreamed on Facebook algorithms, which decide who were struggling with York.
before being circulated on what videos users see with- thoughts of suicide or con- Associated Press
other platforms including out first requiring them to cerned about someone will be a painful end to his speech online, officials
TikTok, the company said. follow other users or specify who is to seek support. life and had appealed to said.
It didn't not give more de- their preferences. President It comes days after another French President Emmanu- "It's good that #TikTok, a
tails about the video but Donald Trump has ordered social media controversy el Macron for a medically- company favoured by
news reports say it has Tiktok's Chinese owner over a live death. Face- assisted death. young users who are par-
been circulating on TikTok ByteDance to sell its U.S. book on Saturday blocked Separately on Tuesday, Tik- ticularly vulnerable to on-
since Sunday and shows a operations over concerns live broadcasts from a Tok signed up to the Euro- line abuse & illegal hate
man shooting himself with about cybersecurity and chronically ill bed-ridden pean Union's Code of Con- speech, joined the Code of
a gun. censorship. man who who wanted duct aimed at preventing Conduct," EU Commissioner
"Our systems, together with Facebook said it removed to show what he expects and countering illegal hate Vera Jourova tweeted.q