Uber and Uber Eats have made a major change which will affect Londoners. From 2025, when you take an Uber ride in the capital it will be a zero local emission vehicle and from 2030, when you order an UberEats delivery, it will only have sustainable packaging.
From 2040, when you order an UberEats delivery, it will be delivered by a zero local emission vehicle. All of these measures are part of tech and transport giant Uber's big push to make its business greener and will have a big impact here in London.
CEO Dara Khosrowshahi made the announcements at a special event in Piccadilly yesterday morning (June 8), declaring London a "leader in electrification," which has inspired Uber to adopt the global targets. He added: "World-leading policies in London and the UK to lower emissions and clean up transportation have had a significant impact, and are having a significant impact as we speak."
Uber has invested £5million in additional electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Greater London accordingly.
However, the changes have not been all widely welcomed despite their green potential. Members of the App Drivers & Couriers Union (ADCU) held a peaceful demonstration outside the Uber event, telling MyLondon that the measures are "for show" and "won't actually help as Uber is not telling us who is going to pay thousands for us [Uber drivers] to buy electric cars."
ADCU member and Uber driver Abdurzak Hadi explained: "The point is these [zero local emission] cars are around £15,000 more - so who is gonna pay for it? We're gonna pay for it! We can't pay for it with peanuts fares. Fares have actually dropped, but inflation and the cost of electricity has gone up."
To get ready for the changes, Uber is changing the interface of its app for drivers so they cannot inadvertently accept rides which would be too long for drivers whose vehicles do not have the battery range at the time. This is to alleviate their concerns over 'charging anxiety.' Mayor Sadiq Khan separately unveiled plans for 80 new charging points across the capital earlier today too.
Other changes will see riders who choose to take an "UberGreen" electric vehicle to Heathrow Airport get cheaper fares and better pick-up/drop-off points closer to terminals. They will also be able to see how much CO2 they save on journeys as Mr Khosrowshahi hopes: "Everyone should be able to live a low emissions lifestyle.”
Over 10,000 Uber drivers in London now drive electric vehicles, and Uber continues to expand public transport options across the capital on its app. It is now possible to book a Eurostar from St Pancras International using Uber. It is continuing its partnership with river-bus provider Thames Clippers, which is launching a new route to/from Gravesend shortly.