Uber Green launches in London

The ride-hailing service Uber has launched its ‘Uber Green’ service in London. Uber users in central London can now request zero-emission vehicle instead of wholly or partly fossil-fuelled cars.

In January this year, Uber already expanded the Uber Green service in the USA after launching in 15 US cities in September. The plan is to expand to 1,400 North American cities. Uber promised in September 2020 that by 2040, all rides booked through its platform worldwide would be taken by electric vehicles or micromobility services such as electric scooters or rental bikes. In North America and Europe, the goal is to be reached as early as 2030. In London now, customers booking within Zone 1 with any destination may book a zero-emission taxi. Uber notes that this will improve air quality and say that it will also “encourage riders to take action on climate change”.

Booking a zero-emission vehicle with Uber Green will not cost customers any more than a regular fare with a fossil-fuelled vehicle. At the same time, drivers will receive a higher fare per trip, since they will benefit from lower service fees of 15 per cent on Uber Green trips. Uber says that encouraging drivers on the app to switch to a zero-emission vehicle should help drive the mass market.

“With cities beginning to open up once again, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to drive a green recovery by ensuring that every car on the Uber app in London is fully electric,” said Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional general manager for Northern and Eastern Europe.

Uber says that they will have the service up and running in 60 major European cities by the end of the year.

drivingelectric.com, sky.com, intelligenttransport.com, forbes.com, uber.com