Uber Is Letting Chinese Customers Ride In Maseratis For $2
Dubbed the "People's Uber" (Renmin Uber in China), the car-sharing service lets people book a Maserati at a reduced rate. The cars will be chauffeured by a millionaire chief executive. (Or their driver, of course.)
It's a promotional gimmick, akin to the kitten delivery and on-demand cheerleaders the company has offered in the past.
The People's Uber will be charged at "costs only" rates, meaning Uber won't make a profit from it. Apparently it's even cheaper than the price of one of China's inexpensive local cabs. The "communist" aspect seems to be that ordinary folks will get to ride in the same exotic supercars as their bosses. Exactly how long rich city entrepreneurs will want to moonlight as taxi drivers is an open question.
One employee of the FT even trialled it and rode 4.5km in a Maserati which, funnily enough, had red seats. The journey apparently cost the equivalent of a couple of dollars.
Interestingly, the move comes soon after reports surfaced that China could soon ban Uber from working in the country. Officials there are cracking down on unlicensed vehicles being hailed down by apps. The FT concedes that the move might be more about "skirting China's taxi restrictions" rather than fighting inequality. Still, now anyone there can enjoy the luxury of a Maserati.