Uber is offering its drivers a £5,000 grant for a new electric vehicle, as well as additional grants of up to £17,000.
Drivers will be able to benefit from a piece of the £145million fund for its London drivers to make the industry more environmentally friendly.
London already has the largest number of electric Uber vehicles, with 25 per cent of ridesharing miles in the capital now being fully electric.
Andrew Brem, general manager of Uber in the UK, said in a statement this week:
“Now is the time to speed up on electrification, not slow down.
“We cannot reach our collective zero-emission goals without continued action from policymakers and investment across the industry. Uber drivers can be the catalyst for accelerating electrification across the transport sector but collaboration will be crucial to combat air pollution and work towards a more sustainable future.”
From today, Tuesday, May 21, the package of incentives will be offered to its London drivers through Uber’s Clean Air Plan.
This will include the initial £5,000 grant and additional discounts of between £12,000 and £17,000 available on select models.
Drivers could benefit from up to £22,000 off the price of a new EV when combined with the “Power-Up” grant.
Drivers can spend their grant cash as a lump sum on an EV purchase, or on weekly payments for rental or rent-to-buy agreements. The move comes as Uber attempts to diversify beyond its original car-hailing roots.
All electric vehicle drivers will also be eligible for up to three months of free charging credits worth £750 thanks to an exclusive charging rate through BP Pulse.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said:
“I am determined to achieve my mission to make London a net-zero city by 2030, and the electrification of our buses and cars is absolutely key to this. I welcome this initiative, which will give drivers who need it a helping hand to switch their petrol or diesel vehicle for an electric one.
“Schemes like this are helping us to build a fairer, greener London for everyone.” The ride-hailing app company announced the measure to help it meet its previous commitment that all Uber vehicles in the capital will be fully electric by the end of 2025.
In addition, Redbridge Council in London is rolling out 34 dual chargers (68 charge points) funded by Uber, part of a £5million investment from Uber to install 700 chargers across three London boroughs.
New data, released today by Uber shows that the proportion of EV trips by Uber drivers in the Congestion Charge zone more than doubles when the zone is active, avoiding the £15 charge through an EV exemption.
Akira Kirton, vice president of BP Pulse UK, said:
“BP Pulse has partnered with Uber since 2021 on their mission to a ‘zero car emissions future in London by 2025’.
BP pulse helps drivers transition to electric through access to our growing number of rapid and ultra-fast charging hubs and keeping their costs down through free BP Pulse subscriptions and exclusive charging rates.
