Uber users able to track emissions avoided when choosing greener rides

Uber will be introducing a new feature enabling passengers to personally track the emissions they have avoided when choosing zero-carbon rides.

Rider Emissions Savings, an in-app feature that tracks the amount of CO2 avoided by riders taking trips through Uber Green and Comfort Electric – will help incentivise riders to make green choices.

Uber has also announced it is aiming to eliminate emissions on all Uber Eats deliveries globally by 2040, and end all unnecessary restaurant plastic waste by 2030. This will be supported through partnerships including the World Wildlife Fund to support restaurants and couriers, as well as leaders in e-mobility such as Cooltra and Human Forest to increase car-free deliveries.

This builds on an existing commitment to become a zero-emissions mobility platform in London by 2025, in Europe and North America by 2030, and globally by 2040.

Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO, said: "Driving down emissions is the defining challenge of our generation, and every day we make dozens of choices that impact the planet, from the food we eat to the transportation we choose. While our personal values guide these decisions, convenience does too, which is why Uber is making it easier for millions to make greener choices, one ride and delivery at a time. The small changes we're announcing today add up to something big: building sustainability into the core user experience across our global platform to reach our zero-emissions goals together.”

Uber has more than 60,000 EVs active on the platform, the largest number of any platform in North America and Europe. Over 10,000 EVs are on the road in London now driving over 18% of miles, making the city Uber’s capital of electrification.

Uber is building ‘Smart Charging’ features for EV drivers that will use machine learning to recommend when and where drivers should charge, so they can maximize their earnings. Drivers will also be able to filter trip requests based on a driver’s battery level and make the at-charger experience seamless.

In 2020 Uber announced a £5m investment to build 700 new EV charging points in areas close to where drivers live, growing London's EV Charge Point Network by more than 7%.