The company is banking on the idea that electric cars have moved beyond the niche market they occupied during the early years of ride-hailing in Romania, when rides in electric vehicles were associated with the premium segment and fares above the market average.
Blue says its service prices are comparable to those charged by other ride-hailing apps in Bucharest, and the growth in its user base suggests that electric vehicles are becoming an option for everyday travel, not just for occasional trips.
“We believe that the future of urban mobility isn’t just about electric cars. It’s about making this option good enough and accessible enough that as many people as possible will naturally choose it. Blue’s growth shows us that this change is already happening in Bucharest,” said Andrei Stancu, Blue CEO.
The differentiation is not about the price, but rather the consistency of the experience: the quality of the cars in the fleet, the standards required of the service, and the predictability of the rides. This is a different approach from that of the major platforms on the market, which operate with diverse fleets and a much higher number of partner drivers, but in return offer shorter wait times and extensive geographic coverage.
The company announced it set out to expand the service and increase the number of users who have access to low-emission rides, though it did not specify a timeline or a concrete target.
Blue is part of the Autonom Group, one of the largest local players in vehicle rental and operational leasing.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)