Free EV rides are being offered by Uber for its Uber One members in Kia EV6 and EV9 vehicles to and from Melbourne Park during the Australian Open tennis event there until January 28.
Uber says the move is to help more Australians experience Uber Comfort Electric, partnering with Kia Australia to launch complimentary EV rides.
Kia will loan 30 of its top of the range EVs to driver partners to help Australian fans ride in style.
Uber One members can unlock complimentary rides (capped at A$100), the Uber Comfort Electric service available nationally to all Uber account holders from Monday January 29.
“Uber Green has been the fastest growing product I’ve ever been involved in, with Aussies notching up more than half a million trips across hybrid and electric vehicles in one week of last year alone,” says Uber Australia and New Zealand managing director Dom Taylor, pictured.
“The demand shows customers want more rides in more electric vehicles, and we’re helping driver partners plug into that demand with a new premium Comfort Electric product that fills a gap in the market for environmentally conscious riders that want a bit more luxury with their green ride.”
Taylor says this national expansion of Comfort Electric is only possible following a multi-year investment to increase the number of EVs on Uber’s platform.
“It’s another step on our journey to become a zero-emissions platform in Australia by 2040.”
Late last year, Comfort Electric launched exclusively to corporate travellers through Uber for Business.
“This freshly announced expansion means that soon every rider in Australia – be they travelling for work or play – will be able to do so in a comfortable, fully electric product by selecting Uber Comfort Electric on their app,” says Taylor.
He explains that millions of sustainable rides in hybrid and electric vehicles happen every month and are the second most popular way Australians are choosing to travel nationally on Uber’s platform – behind only UberX.
“Australians have shown they’re backing greener rides, and so it makes sense to offer them even more choice across our product portfolio,” says Taylor.
“The national expansion of our Comfort Electric product will do exactly that, offering comfortable rides, with driver partners in fully electric vehicles.”
Taylor says Melbourne was chosen to launch the EV experience as EV adoption on Uber’s platform has been slower than hoped for there.
“We’re optimistic partnerships, like this one with Kia, delight riders but importantly make it easier for local driver partners to see the benefit of making the switch to EVs – to prove the customer interest is just as hot here in Victoria as it is across the country.”
Uber has also made more places available in the service fee reduction program, exclusively for driver partners in Victoria.
This means hundreds of driver partners who switch to EVs will be eligible to have their service fees reduced by 50%, up to $3500 per financial year, until June 2025.
Uber One members will only see a Kia Electric trip in their app if they are travelling to or from within five kilometres of the Melbourne tennis precinct and if there is a vehicle available at that time.
While riders will not be charged for the trip, driver partners will receive 100% of the fare with Kia covering the cost of the ride.
Uber says it is not an official sponsor or partner of the 2024 Australian Open.
