HispanicBusiness

Uber, the startup whose technology connects consumers with on-demand car service, will start offering Thursday rides in Toyota Camry and Ford Fusion hybrids in Chicago.

The San Francisco-based company first came to Chicago in September 2011 with its flagship black car service, which dispatches town cars to consumers that request rides via a smartphone application. Since then, Uber has also introduced a lower-cost taxi service and announced plans to get into ride-sharing.

The new service involving the hybrid vehicles is called UBERx and is priced similar to the taxi offering, the company said in a blog post. The Camrys and Fusions are driven by licensed chauffeurs. Uber said the base fare for the new service is $4. Rates are $2.50 per mile or 45 cents per minute and there is an $8 minimum. Uber said traveling from River North to Lincoln Park should cost between $12 and $15, while going from the Loop to O'Hare will be between $45 and $50.

The company cautioned that "availability will be quite limited in the early days, so please bear with us!"