Uber incentivises switch to electric vehicles

Uber is offering incentives to drivers to transition to cleaner vehicles while acknowledging that emissions from its rides have risen in recent years.

It’s investing US$800 million in programmes to held drivers switch by 2025.

The San Francisco-based ride-hailing company studied four billion rides that it provided from 2017-2019 and found that while ridership grew 36.6 per cent, the average carbon intensity for rides declined 6 per cent, meaning rides were becoming more efficient. But the company admitted that its carbon footprint increased as ridership grew.

“We can do a lot better,” said Shin-pei Tsay, director of policy, cities and transportation at Uber. “Driving down carbon intensity and lowering emissions is well within reach.”

Uber said all rides will be in electric vehicles by 2030 in the United States, Canada and Europe. It plans to be a fully zero-emissions platform by 2040, which on the corporate side may involve buying carbon offsets. Lyft, which operates in the US and Canada, said in June that its rides would be in 100 per cent electric vehicles by 2030.

To help drivers make the switch, Uber drivers will earn an extra 50 cents per ride for hybrid vehicles and US$1.50 extra for fully-electric vehicles in more than 15 cities in the US and Canada.

General Motors is partnering with Uber to offer Uber drivers a US$2,400 to $2,750 discount for them to buy a Chevrolet Bolt vehicle and 20 per cent off vehicle charging equipment. The Bolt’s starting price is about US$37,000. Uber also has negotiated discounts with other companies ranging from 10 per cent to 50 per cent off for its drivers to charge electric vehicles in different locations.

AP