UberTrunk and UberPalanquin

PR newswire: Uber launches two new services in select US cities.

UberTrunk provides the company’s most economical ride sharing option to date, enabling riders to use the trunk of UberPool vehicles that are already at capacity. “This new product accomplishes two strategic goals,” said Sean Halsey, Uber’s Director of Product Development. “to offer a ride sharing option that’s economical enough to compete with public transit and to increase the revenue-per-mile for Uber and our driver partners.”  Sean added that “the ‘trunk’ of a Toyota Prius is really more like a way-back so in many cases UberTrunk riders will have plenty of air and light while also being able to communicate easily with up-level riders in the same car. UberTrunk is launching this week in Portland, Austin and Philadelphia with more cities coming soon.

Uber’s most luxurious offering, UberPalanquin, will become available in San Francisco this week. Susan Wilcox, Uber’s VP of strategy said “We identified a market segment, particularly here in the Bay Area, that wanted a differentiated luxury mobility option beyond UberBlack or UberSUV. We found that these riders have the necessary disposable income and sense of entitlement. Also, because the ‘stealth wealth’ trend seems to have run its course, we felt it was the right time to introduce this unique, eco-friendly lifestyle option to our San Francisco riders.”

“I love UberPalanquin,” said Nick Geary, a software engineer at TaskRabbit. “I use it on days when I need to slow down and have a little extra me time. I can just close the curtains, enjoy my Blue Bottle coffee and get caught up on Slack. It also feels really good to know that my ride is carbon neutral and that I’m helping not just one but two of Uber’s porter partners.”