As Uber tried to bring its successful ride-hailing service to Europe over the last several years, the American company has faced battle after battle with local governments pushing back. Germany has been towards the top of the company’s enemy list — only Berlin and Munich remain service areas — but Uber’s persistence on grabbing a stake of the country’s transport market continued on Wednesday when it announced the rollout of JUMP, an electric bike-sharing service, in Germany.
During Berlin’s NOAH Conference on Wednesday, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi rode the company’s bright-red JUMP bike onstage to announce the impending arrival.
“I want this to signal a deep commitment to Germany,” Khosrowshahi told the crowd as German taxi drivers gathered outside to protest, waving signs that read “Uber Go Home”. “Germany is a little bit of a signal of what the new Uber can be like… We want to work with local governments and cities to make our model work.”
“I want this to signal a deep commitment to Germany”
Uber recently rolled out JUMP in San Francisco and Washington, but the company is wasting no time peddling it out across Europe. Bike-sharing has seen massive growth in Europe and North America after the idea proved successful across China, so much so that cities are now having to deal with unused bikes cluttering sidewalks and city parks.
While marketing the bike’s positive impact on the environment, Khosrowshani also teased the upcoming rollout of Uber’s fully electric Green service in Munich and Berlin, telling audience members that the company “stands ready to help address some of the biggest challenges facing German cities: tackling air pollution, reducing congestion and increasing access to cleaner transportation solutions.”
Khosrowshani said that JUMP bikes should start showing up in Berlin by the end of this summer and that Uber plans to launch in additional European markets soon after.
