Uber Green expands area of operation to cover all of Greater London

Credit: Uber

Uber has announced that its passengers can now request an electric vehicle (EV) from anywhere in the capital, as its fully electric ride-hail option, Uber Green, has been expanded from Zone 1 to the whole of London.

Uber Green allows riders to request an EV for the same price as an UberX, with drivers receiving 15 per cent more per trip. The service is now available to all 3.5 million riders taking trips in Greater London.

Since its EV-only option first launched in 2021, the company has more than tripled the number of EVs available on the app, with over 5,000 EVs now on Uber in London, driving over one million miles per week.

By the end of 2022, the company is set to have over 10,000 EVs in London and is on track to become an all-electric platform in the capital by 2025. With more EVs on Uber in London than any other city on the app, London is the global leader for the mobility provider’s electrification efforts.

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Jamie Heywood, Uber’s General Manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, said: “Since we launched Uber Green [in 2021], thousands of drivers have switched to an EV, benefiting from lower running costs and higher earnings on Uber. We are excited to now offer every rider in London the opportunity to choose electric – helping to tackle climate change and clean up London’s air. With Uber on track to be an all-electric platform in the capital by 2025, Uber Green will soon be the default option for all Londoners.”

UK Transport Minister, Trudy Harrison, said: “It’s brilliant to see Uber playing its part in the drive towards a greener, cleaner future. This step comes just a few days after we published our landmark EV Infrastructure Strategy, which showcases what can be achieved when the public and private sector work together on the nationwide switch to EVs.”

Professional ride-hailing drivers are the early mass adopters of EVs, with more than 90 per cent of new vehicles joining the Uber app being fully electric, compared to 12 per cent of new vehicles in the mass market in 2021.

Through Uber’s Clean Air Plan, drivers in London have raised over £145 million, which they can put towards the cost of switching to an EV. Using these funds, drivers can purchase EVs at discounted rates due to the company’s partnerships with Nissan, Hyundai and Kia.