Uber launches electric option in London at no extra cost
Uber customers will now be able to request an electric vehicle for the first time as the ride-hailing app looks to become fully electric by 2025.
Launching today Uber Green will give passengers in Zone 1 the opportunity to request an electric vehicle at no extra cost.
The journey will cost the same as a regular UberX journey on the app and drivers will receive a higher fare per trip.
It is the latest initiative Uber has taken as it pushes to become a fully electric platform by 2025 in London and across the UK by 2030.
In 2019 Uber introduced the Clean Air Plan whereby the company collects an extra 15 pence per mile for every mile travelled in the capital. It then goes directly to drivers to support them with the cost of switching to an electric vehicle.
More than £125m has been raised so far with over 3m trips taking place in a fully electric vehicle.
In December Uber rival Bolt announced it was launching a £250,000 fund to transition its London-based drivers to electric vehicles.
“With cities beginning to open up once again,w e have once in a lifetime opportunity to drive a green recovery by ensuring that every car on the Uber app in London is fully electric,” Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional general manager fro Northern and Eastern said.
“We continue to partner with drivers to help them make the switch to electric and today we are excited to start offering riders the option to select an electric vehicle at no extra cost, allowing everyone using Uber to play their part in cleaning up urban transport.”
Uber said by the end of the year the new initiative will be live in 60 major European cities and available in 1,400 US locations.