Tuesday 4 May 2021

Uber commits to all-electric London fleet by 2025

Uber has pledged to become a fully-electric mobility company in London by 2025 and across the remainder of Europe and North America by 2030.

It has joined forces with electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Arrival to develop an affordable EV for its drivers and customers to use.

It has stated the new EVs will drastically reduce emissions and improve air quality - 30 million drivers are estimated to work in the ride-hailing sector, with each of these vehicles travelling up to 50,000 kilometres a year.

Uber launched a ‘Clean Air Plan’ in London two years ago to help drivers switch to EVs, with £135 million being raised in that time. The company has stated its aim to encourage its drivers to apply for EV Assistance under this plan, to help clean the air around cities and create a mass-market for EVs.

Jamie Heywood, Uber’s Regional General Manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, commented: “As our cities open up, we have an opportunity to make sure that urban transport is cleaner than ever before.

“Uber is committed to helping every driver in London upgrade to an EV by 2025 and thanks to our ‘Clean Air Plan’ more than £135m has been raised to support this ambition. Our focus is now on encouraging drivers to use this money to help them upgrade to an electric vehicle and our partnership with Arrival will help us achieve this goal.”

The final design for the vehicle is expected to be revealed before the end of 2021.