Uber has announced a Clean Air plan for one of the busiest cities in the world. The plan is to help drivers on its network shift to electric cars in a move that will have a major impact on London’s environment. There’s a cost to this, though, and Uber is passing some of it on to the riders. Uber rides will now be slightly more expensive in the city as a result.
London residents who hail an Uber will now have to pay an additional 15 pence or $0.19 per mile. This extra charge will be what goes towards helping drivers switch to electric cars. Uber aims to have all of the cars on its network in London be completely electric by 2025.
Since the average trip in London is approximately three miles, most riders will be paying an additional 45 pence or $0.58 for each ride that they take. Driver’s won’t be collecting this money, obviously, but Uber does say that all drivers in London will be eligible for cash payments from the company which will aid them in buying an electric car.
The cash payments that drivers get will be based on the number of miles that they have driven on Uber. “We want to partner with the cities we serve and are proud to play our part in tackling London’s air pollution,” said Uber’s director in London, Fred Jones.
Once a driver moves to an electric car, the payments will help them by subsidizing the car’s costs. Uber anticipates that it will raise over £200 million to support this transition for its drivers.