Uber is on a mission to lower its ecological footprint by adopting more and more zero-emissions vehicles in its fleet. The ride-sharing platform expanded the Comfort Electric program to an additional 15 cities in the US making it now available for a total of 25 cities in North America. But that’s just the beginning as Uber wants to be fully electric by the end of the decade.
Talk with CBS News‘ senior national and environmental correspondent Ben Tracy, the company’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi recently said his company aims to be CO2 neutral by 2030. This plan covers not only Uber’s North American operations but also Europe, he asserted.
“We have a target to go fully electric in the US, Canada and Europe,” he told reporters and was later asked if drivers of gas-powered vehicles would be allowed on the platform after the end of the decade. “No, if we do our job, we will be all electric” is the answer to that question.
To provide support for drivers willing to switch to electric vehicles earlier than mandated, Uber has plans to spend about $800 million on various incentives. For now, ride-sharing companies are offering discounts on EV charging and also paying drivers of battery-powered vehicles one dollar for every EV ride they take. Also, Uber is partnering with Hertz, and both companies have the option for drivers to make long-term Tesla leases.
As far as the Comfort Electric program is concerned, it is now available in 25 cities and states across the country with further expansions planned in the near future. It may not be the cheapest option for customers, but Uber’s CEO believes the more EV drivers they get on the platform, the cheaper and faster that option will be for customers. “The momentum is good but most of the work is in front of us not behind us,” concluded Khosrowshahi.
Currently, Uber has around 26,000 electric vehicles in its fleet. The plan, the number is almost doubled to around 50,000 EV next year.
