Peter Lyon
January 20, 2025
In an eco-friendly ride agreement, BYD and Grab have signed a regional agreement that would allow Grab’s driver partners in Southeast Asia to access up to 50,000 EVs.
With this latest development, Grab’s fleet partners and driver partners will have competitive access to BYD EVs with longer battery warranties.
Under this deal, drivers will have two choices. The first option is to rent the BYD EVs through Grab’s fleet partners; the second is to buy the EV outright by choosing to use Grab’s car ownership program to finance the purchase.
Malaysia Must Wait Its Turn To Get Access
For users of the Grab app in Thailand or Singapore, you can prioritise assigning a green vehicle by turning on the “Eco-Friendly Ride” option on the screen. Unfortunately, however, Malaysians will not yet have access to this feature, although it is expected in the future.
The markets of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines will all be included in the BYD and Grab partnership. The BYD Atto 3, BYD Seal, and BYD M6 are among the models that BYD will contribute, and the GrabExec will employ the luxury seven-seater Denza D9 MPV from its premium Denza brand.
In terms of technology, the Grab app and BYD’s car platform will work together to integrate fully with the Internet of Things. Instead of looking at the phone as they do now, drivers will be able to access the Grab app through BYD’s enormous infotainment panels.
Additionally, Grab will have real-time access to the EVs’ sensors and telemetry in order to collect information on the patterns and driver behaviour. This can then be used to guide the drivers towards improved safety and efficiency.
They will even get real-time access to data like wiper signals and travel speed, which they can then feed into their algorithm to improve traffic and weather forecasting. Both parties will benefit greatly from Grab’s hyperlocal map data, which will increase map accuracy over time and make each trip more efficient.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
Both BYD and Grab should benefit greatly from this tie-up which employs the best hi-tech and successful features of both companies. And the fact that drivers can either rent or buy the EVs is a real plus and an offer that caters to all participants. Let’s hope the program arrives in Malaysia soon.
