Uber announces cash incentives for electric cabbies in the US

The ride-sharing and taxi app said it aims to cut the number of vehicles on the road and reduce transportation’s climate footprint

Uber has announced cash incentives for its drivers to adopt electric vehicles (EVs) in the US.

The ride-sharing and taxi app said it aims to shrink the number of vehicles on the road and reduce transportation’s climate footprint by increasing the number of EVs being used among its workforce.

The new pilot initiative aims to deliver at least five million EV rides over the next year as it kicks off across Austin, Los Angeles, Montreal, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle.

The company said it would offer direct incentives to help drivers overcome challenges such as losing fare-earning time to charge their vehicles, accessing adequate fast-charging stations in urban areas and getting affordable access to higher mileage EVs.

It has also committed to improving EV education and said a new feature on its app will alert drivers as the battery begins to lose charge.

A spokesperson for Uber said: “We’re excited to continue working with riders, drivers and cities around the world to facilitate access to more sustainable transportation and work towards solutions that can improve our lifestyles and our cities.”

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