Ride-hailing pioneer, Uber, has big plans to “go green,” promising to be 100% electric and “EV only” from 2030 on.
The ride-sharing platform has plans to expand its Uber Comfort Electric program to 15 new US cities in the coming months, making the electric car ride sharing platform officially available 25 cities in North America by the end of the year– but that’s just the start. Uber has plans to expand the program even further, eventually going fully electric by the end of the decade.
“We have a target to be fully electric in the US, Canada, and Europe,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told CBS News’ Ben Tracy, when asked whether drivers of gas-powered vehicles will be allowed on the platform after the end of the decade. To Khosrowshahi’s credit, he answered directly. “No,” he said. “(If) we’re doing our job we’re gonna be all-electric.”
Uber plans to spend around $800 million over the next several to help its drivers make the switch to electric cars ahead of state mandates. At the moment, however, the company offers discounted EV fast-charging and pays drivers of battery-powered vehicles an additional dollar for every electric trip they make. The company also partners with national rental giant, Hertz, to give drivers the option of renting a Tesla at a special, long-term rate.
Uber currently has more than 26,000 electric vehicle drivers using its platform, with a plan to nearly double that number by reaching 50,000 EVs in 2023.
Hertz “Rent Electric” Commercial
