Uber details next phase of its Clean Air Plan

Ride-hailing app provider Uber has detailed its plans to assist its drivers in moving towards electric vehicles as part of its Clean Air Plan today (23 October).

The proposals are likely to see a ‘clean air fee’ of around 15p per mile levied on all journeys made its customers in London from early 2019, in order to pay for the plans, which are estimated to be likely to cost over £200 million.

Uber has unveiled a Clean Air Plan

Originally announced over 12 months ago — Uber’s Clean Air Plan includes commitments to phase out diesel cars in its fleet across London, with drivers to be offered incentives to switch to cleaner vehicles (see airqualitynews.com story).

The Uber app is used by an estimated 3.5 million people every year in London for journeys across the capital, with around 50,000 drivers registered upon the platform.

Through its Clean Air Plan, Uber aims to assist drivers in switching to electric vehicles, based on the number of miles they have driven on the app.

According to Uber, this would mean that drivers using the app for around 40 hours per week could expect around £3,000 of support towards an EV in two years’ time and £4,500 in three years.

The app provider has an aim that all cars registered on the app will be fully electric in London by 2025. It anticipates that the first 20,000 drivers upgrading to electric vehicles to have completed the shift by the end of 2021.

Uber has also pledged to work with charging point providers including BP ChargeMaster, EO Charging, EVBox, Franklin Energy, NewMotion, Pod Point and Swarco EVolt to assist drivers in installing home charging points to plug in their vehicles.

Scrappage scheme

The Plan also includes proposals for a diesel scrappage scheme aimed at incentivising the removal of over 1,000 of the most polluting cars from London’s roads which will also launch early next year.

This will see up to 1,000 people offered up to £1,500 in credit to spend on Uber or uberPOOL rides, by trading in a Euro 4 or earlier diesel car for scrappage.

Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive of Uber, said: “The Mayor of London has set out a bold vision to tackle air pollution in the capital and we’re determined to do everything we can to back it. Our £200 million Clean Air Plan is a long-term investment in the future of London aimed at going all electric in the capital in 2025.

“Over time, it’s our goal to help people replace their car with their phone by offering a range of mobility options — whether cars, bikes, scooters or public transport — all in the Uber app.”

Matthew Eastwood, Head of Transport at the Energy Saving Trust, which has worked with Uber to assess the availability of EV charging points, said: “Our work with Uber on electric vehicles has allowed us both to develop an understanding of the impact driving an electric vehicle has on licensed private-hire drivers.

“The report highlighted where electric vehicles worked well and where there are challenges. These learnings will be extremely valuable in support of the electrification of this important area of road transport.”