In 2020, Uber launched Uber Green, enabling users on the rideshare platform to request a plug-in hybrid or fully electric car for their trip.
On October 22, Axios reported that changes were coming to Uber Green — and while the news came not long after a longstanding federal EV tax credit abruptly expired, the rideshare giant is moving toward an all-electric future, not away from it.
As such, Uber Green's rebranding to Uber Electric represented a welcome respite of encouraging news in terms of EV adoption.
Uber has made significant strides toward fleet electrification, acquiring ex-Tesla Supercharger department head Rebecca Tinucci after her reported falling out with CEO Elon Musk in 2024.
At a time when automotive giants such as General Motors are cautiously reassessing their EV strategies, Uber Electric adopted more of a pedal-to-the-floor approach.
According to Axios, Uber is offering $4,000 grants to "high-mileage, tenured drivers in markets with high demand," such as major American cities, to make the switch to an EV — new or used. Additionally, Uber drivers in all states are eligible for a $1,000 EV discount through TrueCar.
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Santosh Rao, Uber's global head of mobility sustainability, told Axios that the company was serious about giving drivers the opportunity to go electric.
"Affordability is an issue with EVs, and we want to make it as easy as possible for drivers to transition," Rao explained.
The program is a boon for EV adoption in several ways, enabling rideshare customers to vote for eco-friendly initiatives with their wallets.
Since 2020, Uber Green has introduced consumers to EVs firsthand, allowing them to experience an EV without buying one. Uber also hosted pop-ups late last year to allow riders to become acquainted with a variety of EV models.
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Which of these factors is your biggest obstacle to purchasing an EV? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Cost concerns 💸 Overall, Uber has long maintained solid goals for fleet electrification, aiming to be all-electric in cities by 2030 and worldwide by 2040. Today, one in 10 miles driven in an Uber is in an EV.
Rao conceded that the 2030 goalpost was ambitious but feasible.
"We're giving it our best shot. We were putting resources, dollars, behind it. We definitely need more action and partnership from the product industry, because climate is a team sport," he told Axios. "We can't do it alone. But we're trying to push us as hard as possible."
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