Uber Partners With Auto Companies To Cut Deals For Drivers, Expand Fleet

On-demand transportation service Uber hopes that allaying the cost of new vehicles for its drivers will help boost the company’s offerings in six of its fastest-growing markets. Rather than buying the cars itself – which Uber estimated would cost more than $2.5 billion – the company partnered with auto manufacturers to ensure Uber-approved drivers can get a better rate to purchase the cars themselves. Uber co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick estimated that a driver could gross more than $100,000 by working through Uber in one year. The effort is aimed at getting more drivers on the road in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, and San Francisco.