Uber to go fully electric in London by 2025

Ride-hailing company Uber will charge Londoners a ‘clean air fee’ from early next year to help fund an investment that will see all its cars go fully electric in the capital by 2025.

Passengers will be charged an extra 15p for every mile travelled when the changes kick in, all of which will go towards tackling air pollution and helping drivers upgrade to electric vehicles (EVs).

The average trip is set to increase by around 45p as a result, with Uber hoping to raise more than £200m in the next few years, and to have 20,000 drivers upgraded to electric by the end of 2021.

Uber CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, said: “The mayor of London has set out a bold vision to tackle air pollution in the capital and we’re determined to do everything we can to back it.

“Over time, it’s our goal to help people replace their car with their phone by offering a range of mobility options – whether cars, bikes, scooters or public transport – all in the Uber app.”

Uber said drivers working for an average of 40 hours per week could expect to receive around £3,000 in support towards switching to an EV in two years’ time, and £4,500 in three years.

In addition, the company unveiled plans for a diesel scrappage scheme aimed at removing 1,000 of the most polluting cars from London’s roads, which will also launch early next year.

The first 1,000 people in London to scrap a pre-Euro 4 diesel vehicle, and provide an official certificate, will receive up to £1,500 of credit to spend on Uber or uberPOOL rides.

Moreover, Uber has teamed up with several leading home charging suppliers, including BP ChargeMaster and EO Charging, to provide more affordable charging options to drivers using its app.

It is also working with other industry players on ways to improve London’s charging infrastructure, including the use of anonymised data to provide insights into charging patterns and behaviour.

London First CEO, Jasmine Whitbread, said: “It’s great to see Uber helping drivers make the switch to electric as we continue to work with the mayor’s taskforce to build up the public charging networks London needs.”

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