Uber to rebrand ‘Green’ service to ‘Uber Electric’

Uber is set to rename its Uber Green service in the US, as well as launch a new $4000 grant programme for drivers looking to purchase new or used EVs. The changes will cover states such as California, New York, Colorado and Massachussetts.

It marks a pivot towards full BEVs for Uber; previously, Uber Green enabled passengers to book rides in both petrol hybrids and BEVs, but earlier this year, Uber made the leap and switched its Green service to 100% electric. As a result, the number of EVs active on the Uber service has continued to grow: Uber states its drivers are “going electric up to 5x faster than the average motorist in the US”. Now, the ridehailing service wants to update its branding to reflect its focus on EVs.

Besides a name change, there’s also a few new EV-related offerings for both Uber drivers and riders. On the driver side: Uber will launch the aforementioned ‘Go Electric’ grants of $4000 to support drivers switching to EVs. This will, however, only be available in New York City, California, Colorado, and Massachusetts to begin with. Across the US, Uber drivers will also receive a further $1000 with any EV they purchase through the TrueCar marketplace.

Then, there’s an expansion of Uber’s battery-aware matching (BAM) feature. This essentially ensures that Uber drivers are only matched with journeys that fit within their EV’s current battery range.

Uber has said it will expand the feature to include brands such as Kia, Hyundai, Ford, Nissan, Volkswagen and Mercedes, and that it will be expanded to 25 countries in North America and Europe. Finally, Uber riders get a small treat: 20% off (up to $8) on their next Electric ride on the app using the code GOELECTRIC20.

In a statement, Uber said: “Over the past five years, we’ve become the most widely-available platform for EV rides in the world, with Uber drivers going electric up to 5x faster than the average motorist in the US, Canada, and Europe. Today, there are over 200,000 EV drivers on our platform globally taking millions of zero-emissions trips. And one in four riders say their first-ever EV ride was on Uber. We want to keep the momentum going, which is why we’re announcing electrification updates for both riders and drivers.”

uber.com