Uber is on a mission to reduce its environmental footprint by increasingly adopting zero-emission vehicles in its fleet. The ridesharing platform is expanding its Comfort Electric program to 15 additional US cities, making it now available in a total of 25 cities in North America. But that’s just the start as Uber wants to go all-electric by the end of the decade.
Talk with CBS NewsNational and Senior Environmental Correspondent Ben Tracy, company CEO Dara Khosrowshahi recently said his company aims to become CO2 neutral by 2030. This plan includes not only Uber’s North American operations but also Europe, he confirmed.
“We aim to be all-electric in the United States, Canada and Europe,” he told the reporter, then was asked if gas-powered vehicle drivers would be allowed on the platform. after the end of the decade. “No, if we do our job, we will be all electric” was the answer to this question.
In order to provide support to drivers willing to switch to an electric vehicle sooner than expected, Uber plans to spend around $800 million on different incentives. For now, the ride-sharing company is offering discounts on EV charging and also paying battery-powered vehicle drivers a dollar for every EV ride they take. Additionally, Uber is partnering with Hertz, and both companies have the option for drivers to lease Tesla long-term.
As for the Comfort Electric program, it is now available in 25 cities and states across the country with more expansions planned for the near future. It may not be the cheapest option for customers, but Uber’s CEO thinks the more EV drivers they have on the platform, the cheaper and faster the option will be for the customers. “The momentum is great, but most of the work is ahead of us, not behind us,” Khosrowshahi concluded.
Currently, Uber has approximately 26,000 electric vehicles in its fleet. The plan is for the number to nearly double to around 50,000 electric vehicles by next year.
Uber is on a mission to reduce its environmental footprint by increasingly adopting zero-emission vehicles in its fleet. The ridesharing platform is expanding its Comfort Electric program to 15 additional US cities, making it now available in a total of 25 cities in North America. But that’s just the start as Uber wants to go all-electric by the end of the decade.
Talk with CBS NewsNational and Senior Environmental Correspondent Ben Tracy, company CEO Dara Khosrowshahi recently said his company aims to become CO2 neutral by 2030. This plan includes not only Uber’s North American operations but also Europe, he confirmed.
“We aim to be all-electric in the United States, Canada and Europe,” he told the reporter, then was asked if gas-powered vehicle drivers would be allowed on the platform. after the end of the decade. “No, if we do our job, we will be all electric” was the answer to this question.
In order to provide support to drivers willing to switch to an electric vehicle sooner than expected, Uber plans to spend around $800 million on different incentives. For now, the ride-sharing company is offering discounts on EV charging and also paying battery-powered vehicle drivers a dollar for every EV ride they take. Additionally, Uber is partnering with Hertz, and both companies have the option for drivers to lease Tesla long-term.
As for the Comfort Electric program, it is now available in 25 cities and states across the country with more expansions planned for the near future. It may not be the cheapest option for customers, but Uber’s CEO thinks the more EV drivers they have on the platform, the cheaper and faster the option will be for the customers. “The momentum is great, but most of the work is ahead of us, not behind us,” Khosrowshahi concluded.
Currently, Uber has approximately 26,000 electric vehicles in its fleet. The plan is for the number to nearly double to around 50,000 electric vehicles by next year.