Uber and bp announced Friday a global agreement to help the ride-hailing company’s drivers transition to electric vehicles by giving them better access to fast charging, the companies said in a press release. Uber’s goal is for all rides to be in zero-emission vehicles by 2030 in the U.S. and Canada.
Drivers using Uber’s app will receive discounts for charging their vehicles with bp pulse, the energy company’s EV charging business. “The two companies will also explore working together on convenience and fuel offers,” the press release said.
More than 4% of all trip-miles on the Uber platform in the U.S. and Canada during the third quarter of 2022 were completed by zero-emission vehicles, an Uber spokesperson said in an email. That represented a leap of more than 11 times compared to the first half of 2021.
The Uber spokesperson also said that electric vehicle uptake by drivers using Uber’s app in the U.S. is now eight times higher than that of drivers in the general population.
But Uber’s global head of sustainability, Christopher Hook, acknowledged in the press release that “Getting to 100% electric is not something Uber can do alone.” He added that the “availability of easy to access, affordable charging infrastructure is one of the biggest challenges for drivers.”
Bp also partnered with Hertz last year to establish a network of large fast-charging hubs specifically to serve ride-hailing and taxi fleets at major airports and other high-traffic locations in the U.S. The energy company also announced a public-private partnership with mayors across the country in January to help Hertz grow its fleet of electric rental vehicles and to add public charging infrastructure. The initiative launched in Denver.
Uber said in the press release that its relationship with bp pulse began in 2021 when the companies partnered to offer access for Uber drivers to bp’s rapid commercial charging hub on Park Lane in London. More than 15% of miles driven with Uber in London are with electric vehicles, the press release said.
