Uber customers willing to pay more for a zero-emission journey

The majority of Uber users are willing to pay more for an electric ride, according to new research published by the NGO campaign #TrueCostOfUber. 

Uber is one of the biggest ride-hailing services in Europe, with 3.6 million users in London in 2019 and 2.7 million users in France in 2017. 

The company has come under criticism for their contribution to air pollution, with data published by the French government in 2017 revealing that 90% of Uber vehicles were diesel cars. 

However, according to the survey, 52% of Uber customers in seven European countries are willing to pay an extra 15-20 cents per km for a zero-emission ride. 

The survey revealed that this is especially true for young people, with 60% of 18-24-year-olds willing to pay more for a clean journey. 

The survey also revealed that most people who live in big cities have a negative perception of Uber because of the impact that the company has on air pollution. 

44% of Londoners and 34% of Parisians believe that Uber has a negative impact on pollution. 

 

Yoann Le Petit, mobility expert for Transport & Environment said: ‘Uber’s customers are wise to its air pollution and are even willing to chip in for a clean ride. Now Uber must do its fair share for the climate and our health.’

Pierre Dornier, president of the Brussels air pollution campaign group, Les Chercheurs d’Air: ‘The company must use zero-emission and shared cars to become part of the solution, not the problem.

‘Each Uber car is driving hundreds of kilometres every week, often empty, worsening air pollution and congestion. 

‘Air pollution is a health emergency.’

In October 2018, Uber detailed plans to assist its drivers in moving towards electric vehicles as part of its Clean Air Plan.

In order to pay for the plans to transition to an electric fleet, which was estimated to cost over £200m, Uber set a ‘clean air fee’ of around 15p per mile on all journeys made by customers in London from early 2019.

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