To advance decarbonization in the freight sector, Uber Freight announced the launch of a dedicated electric vehicle fleet accelerator program at its annual Deliver 2025 summit held in Jacksonville, Florida. The initiative was unveiled by founder and chairman Lior Ron, featuring a strategic partnership with Tesla Motors (TSLA.US) aimed at accelerating electric truck adoption.
The program directly addresses widespread industry feedback by providing fleets with subsidized access to Tesla Motors Semi trucks for purchase or lease, guaranteeing demand from Uber Freight's shipper network, and offering operational support to enhance vehicle utilization and long-term investment returns. Ron emphasized that while electric trucks can significantly reduce operating costs over the long term, high upfront costs, charging infrastructure gaps, and uncertain revenue potential have hindered widespread adoption.
Uber Freight will collaborate with Tesla Motors to provide financing support that brings Semi pricing in line with diesel trucks, while optimizing fleet networks, charging locations, and freight routes to ensure seamless charging during operations. Tesla Motors introduced its fully electric Class 8 Semi truck in 2017, began production in 2022, expects mass production by the end of 2025, and market launch in 2026, with a fully loaded range of 300 to 500 miles.
During a two-month accelerator program pilot, the Tesla Motors Semi accumulated over 12,377 miles of driving and more than 394 hours of operation. With a total of 60 hours of charging, the vehicle achieved an average net energy consumption of 1.72 kilowatt-hours per mile.
The three-day Deliver 2025 conference brought together approximately 200 shippers and industry experts to discuss last-mile delivery, fraud, tariffs, nearshoring, artificial intelligence, cross-border logistics, and multimodal transportation topics. Uber Freight CEO Rebecca Tinucci noted in her keynote address that logistics has become a board-level priority. Appointed as the new CEO in August, she has now officially taken the helm, succeeding Lior Ron, who will transition to become Chief Operating Officer at autonomous trucking pioneer Waabi, where Uber is a major investor.
Tinucci mentioned that over the past year, global import tariffs, rail disruptions, and geopolitical events have impacted shipping routes, directly affecting corporate profitability and prompting logistics to shift from cost control to growth leverage. Additionally, Uber Freight introduced new platform features to streamline logistics processes and enhance connectivity.
The Transportation Management System (TMS) now integrates "order-to-cash" tracking capabilities, allowing shippers to directly manage accounts receivable and payable through the portal, potentially reducing disputes by up to 20% and accelerating carrier payments. The Exchange procurement platform expanded functionality through scenario analysis, enabling shippers to build multiple bidding strategy models within minutes, compare costs, services, and carrier combinations to reduce costs and enhance reliability. Contract award information can be exported to any TMS system.