Uber drivers in London without electric vehicles (EV) will receive a £5,000 grant to help them switch to an EV — new or used — in a bid to boost electrification, the company announced today (May 20).
The multinational transportation company partnered with bp Pulse to support drivers with free charging and is offering additional £12,000 to £17,000 to be used when purchasing a range of EV vehicles.
As of tomorrow (May 21), all Uber EV drivers will be eligible for three months of free charging credits worth £750 and then an exclusive charging rate through bp Pulse, according to a press statement.
Drivers can opt to spend their grant cash as a lump-sum on a purchase, or on a rental or rent-to-buy deal, Uber said, adding that drivers will be able to switch to an EV “within a day”.
Andrew Brem, Uber’s general manager in the UK, said the ride-hailing sector could lead the decarbonisation of transport in Europe.
“We are investing $800mn globally to reduce the costs of drivers purchasing EVs,” Casper Nixon told Euronews when asked whether Uber drivers in other European capitals could soon benefit from similar incentives.
Last February, Uber announced a five million euros emergency EV charging initiative to help drivers in France reducing the financial surcharge associated with public charging but also to compensate for the unexpected discontinuation of the government's charging grant, worth €3,000 under the Mobility Orientation Law, for professional drivers.
