Uber drives on the road in Krakow, Poland, on July 4, 2024.
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Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi announced Tuesday that the company is updating its platform with new sustainability-focused features, including “electric car preference” that will allow customers to choose all-electric cars by default, whenever they request a ride.
The company previously launched an “Uber Green” service, which has historically included a mix of battery electric vehicles and hybrid electric models. Now, Uber can offer battery-powered electric vehicles as the only “green” option in more than 40 cities around the world, executives said at Uber's annual Go Get Zero sustainability conference in London on Tuesday.
Speaking at Uber's GO-GET Zero event in London, Khosrowshahi said the company's rollout of new sustainability-focused features arrives before the 2024 US election, adding that this is a time when the topic of electric vehicles has become a “politically charged issue.” “
However, he noted that the overall trend is moving towards fully electric mobility options.
“The reality is that we will not reach emissions targets or get to zero unless policymakers and other companies do their part as well,” Khosrowshahi said at the event.
“We need more affordable electric vehicles, we need stronger electric vehicle mandates, and we need incentives for people who drive more. We want to make sure chargers are available in every community, not just in wealthier communities. So we're all about Need to intensify efforts,” he said.
For drivers, Uber said it is rolling out an “EV Mentor” program, which connects drivers with any questions about electric mobility. The company has also launched an AI chatbot powered by OpenAI's ChatGPT, which looks to answer questions from drivers on the ride-hailing network about what it takes to buy and use a battery electric vehicle instead of a gas-powered vehicle.
Transportation was responsible for about 25% of global carbon emissions caused by human activity, according to estimates by the non-profit International Council on Clean Transportation. Carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases from human activity cause long-term changes in temperature and weather, while also contributing to respiratory diseases through the formation of smog and air pollution.
Ride-hailing services like Uber can contribute to traffic congestion and thus pollution, according to an analysis by Suvrat Dhanurkar, Gordon Birch and others published in the Journal of Transportation Science. Uber is working to reduce its environmental footprint and aims to become a “zero emissions platform” by 2040.
On the delivery side of its platform, Uber is adding farmers market products to its Uber Eats offering in two major markets in the US: New York City and Los Angeles.
Uber said it will also invest nearly $1 million to enable restaurants in Paris that sell meals via Uber Eats to switch to more sustainable packaging, such as seaweed-based packaging from NotPLA, bags made from leaves from Releaf, and straws made from agricultural sugar. . Leftovers from IAmPlasticFree.
According to statistics tracked by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Parisians generate more than 400 kg (880 lbs) of waste every year. France has implemented laws to reduce this waste, requiring fast food restaurants to stay away from single-use plastic containers and utensils.
