The CEO of leading ride-share company Uber has confirmed that the firm plans to bar its drivers from operating on the app with internal combustion engine vehicles by 2030 in the US.
The ICE ban will cover the United States, Canada, and Europe, with Uber drivers in Australia and New Zealand expected to be given a longer reprieve.
Speaking to CBS, Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi says that the switch also has benefits for customer waiting times and pricing.
“The more electric cars we have in a particular market, the more the waiting time comes down and pricing can come down as well,” said Khosrowshahi. “The momentum is great but most of the work is ahead of us not behind us.”
The announcement comes off the back of incentives Uber has offered its drivers overseas to make the switch. These include paying an extra US$1 for each trip logged and EV charger discounts.
Uber has also partnered with Hertz to enable drivers to rent EVs from the company, most of which are either Teslas or Polestars.
In parts of the US and Canada, Uber offers customers a ‘Comfort Electric’ option, guaranteeing they will be serviced by a new or near-new electric vehicle. This template is set to become the Uber standard by the end of the decade.
Drivers that switch from internal combustion to EV get to reap the benefits of greatly reduced upkeep costs, particularly in the midst of current petrol prices.
On the flipside, EVs are expensive; particularly when compared to the price of the used hybrid vehicles that are most popular with Uber users. And EVs rented from Hertz cost from US$299 per week.
