Uber slashes service fees for EV drivers by 50 per cent
Ride-sharing company announces new $26m plan to promote electric vehiclesUber has announced what it’s calling a new $26 million investment in the promotion and adoption of battery-electric vehicles in Australia, by slashing its service fees for eligible EV ‘driver-partners’ by 50 per cent as of July 1.
The ride-sharing giant’s EV subsidy will be in place until June 30, 2025 – so for at least three years – and comes in the wake of a 12-month trial conducted over the past year.
Australian Uber EV driver-partners were treated to significantly reduced (50%) service fees over the course of the trial, which ended up yielding more than 378,000 zero-emission trips nationally, amounting to an approximate saving of 502 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Other key findings of the trial included a $5500 average saving per driver on fuel and service fees, something that no doubt stimulated the 300 per cent increase in the number of EV driver-partners.
With four times as many Uber ride-sharing EVs now on the road, it shouldn’t be surprising to know the number of monthly zero-emission journeys increased by almost 400 per cent.
Uber Australia and New Zealand general manager Dom Taylor said the results from the 12-month trial were “phenomenal”, given the point of the initiative is to promote the switch to electric mobility.
“The number of driver-partners using EVs on the platform has almost quadrupled, with five times as many EV trips being taken now than before we began the initiative, equating to over 500 tonnes of CO2 emissions saved,” he said.
“So we know this approach is producing results and we also know that driver-partners want the program extended. We want to do our bit – we’ve listened to them and have extended this initiative for another three years.
“One electric vehicle on the Uber platform can help the equivalent of 100 riders a month get from A to B, with rideshare drivers realising three to four times greater emissions savings compared to average car owners.”
Electric Vehicle Council CEO Behyad Jafari is in full support of Uber’s initiative, saying it would not only help the ride-sharing platform’s drivers make the transition to electric power, but also “provide riders with an opportunity to experience” the “performance of an electric car”.
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