Uber’s boss is encouraging passengers not to book the closest cab, but to wait until the next EV is available.
As the drive towards greener motoring continues, this is an interesting move from the ride-hailing boss – and might give drivers something to think about when replacing their current vehicle.
Sustainability
You would expect any taxi or PHV firm to want to get as many passengers in and out of their vehicles as quickly as possible – no one makes money with an empty cab.
But Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told the BBC that as part of the company’s overall sustainability aims – that all its car journeys and deliveries should be carried out in “zero-emissions vehicles” by 2040 – he would prefer passengers to use greener transport and not just jump into the closest cab.
While most Uber vehicles are currently petrol, diesel or hybrid, customers can select a full EV for their ride – but usually have to wait a bit longer for it to arrive.
And this is what Mr Khosrowshahi is encouraging all passengers to do.
He said: “A couple of minutes isn’t going to kill anyone. We’re not saying, ‘hey, wait 15 minutes’, but if you have to wait another two, three minutes to help the environment, why not make that investment?”
EV slowdown
The BBC reports that in London, “almost a third of Uber drivers have invested in an EV, so the difference in waiting times may not be long. But EV uptake is lower elsewhere in the UK and worldwide”.
As well as expanding the electric PHV fleet, Uber also wants to widen its delivery service beyond Uber Eats to challenge the likes of Amazon.
Key to the company meeting those targets is increasing the supply of EVs and improving the charging network. The price of new EVs as well as concerns about range and the charging network have led to a slump in sales in the UK.
Mr Khosrowshahi believes that China has the solution for fully electric PHV and delivery fleets. He said that tariffs to make Chinese cars more expensive for European and American consumers was “negative” for the planet.
He added: “The Uber driver drives four to five times the miles of average drivers. For us, we want to electrify our fleet and we want to make sure that it is affordable for our drivers.”
Affordable
He believes that without such tariffs, cars made by Chinese firms could potentially be supplied more cheaply to consumers in US and EU.
In the UK, he is calling on the new Labour government to reinstate the original 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, which was pushed back to 2035 by the previous Conservative administration.
He also called for support around infrastructure and vehicle pricing to be directed to “those who drive the most, such as Uber drivers, or for corporate fleets, rather than individuals”.
Most people, including taxi and PHV drivers, would look forward to making the switch to EVs to help the environment. But until EVs can match the range of a current tank of petrol or diesel and prices come down, it is no surprise that people are holding off, especially taxi drivers and other professionals who currently see it as a gamble.
