Uber’s shows efforts to minimize its carbon footprint, as it announced it will transform into a 100% emission-free service by 2040. It will invest $800 million to change to a complete Electric Vehicle fleet and provide discounts in electric charging to its drivers.
The ride-hailing service claims that by 2025, 50% of distance traveled in its rides across Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Lisbon, London, Madrid and Paris will be covered in zero-emission vehicles. And by 2030, its ride services will be completely run by Electric vehicles in the US, Canada and Europe. Uber also aims to reduce carbon emission in its corporate emissions and has set a target of reaching net zero-emission by 2030 in that department.
Moreover, it has partnered with General Motors and the Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi alliance in US and Canada to procure Electric Vehicles for its services. It looks forward to partnering with more automakers in the future in various countries. The company is currently in talks with BP, EVgo, Enel X and other global charging providers to obtain discounts and expand the network of charging stations.
The introduction of Uber Green will give customers an option to opt for an Electric Vehicle ride by paying a dollar extra. This new service will initially be available in 15 US and Canadian cities and will further expand to 65 cities across the globe by the end of the year. Customers who choose to ride an Uber Green will be awarded extra Uber reward points.
To promote the use of Electric vehicles among its driver base, Uber will pay $1.5 to every driver that completes a Uber Green trip. Of this $1.5, Uber will contribute a dollar, whereas the customer will pay the rest 50 cents.
Furthermore, it has revealed its intention to integrate scooters and bikes from Lime on to its platform, pushing its efforts to develop Uber’s micro-mobility network. Receiving an amazing result from its ride-sharing program, Uber will further expand the service once the pandemic is over.
Uber’s new plans might be a counter to the widespread criticism of taxi-hailing services by environment activists who allege that these platforms contribute to pollution and congestion.
According to a US survey, less than 0.6% of transport emissions are accounted for by taxi-hailing services. Uber’s Climate Assessment and Performance Report suggests that its trips in US and Canada with a passenger emits 41% more CO2 than average private cars with two passengers.
