Uber Brussels launches luxury service UberBLACK

After UberX, the popular private car service that uses only professional drivers, Uber today launched UberBLACK in Brussels. The US ride-sharing service created the brand to cater specifically to the more “demanding customer”, who appreciates luxury cars and suit-clad chauffeurs, reports Le Soir.

After the suspension of the cheaper UberPOP and the highly controversial launch of UberX, Uber Brussels general manager Filip Nuytemans decided to try something new. UberBLACK only offers rides in Audis, BMWs and the like, and at a slightly higher price: €1.9 per kilometre, compared to €1.25 per kilometre with UberX.

According to Nuytemans, UberX currently employs about 300 people in Brussels for some 30,000 active users, and demand continues to rise. "Some customers were asking for more luxury. And UberBLACK already exists throughout Europe, so Brussels was the logical next step," he said.

"Brussels is number two in the list of European cities with the worst traffic,” Nuytemans adds. “Uber can help to solve the mobility problems here.”