Uber strikes new partnership to boost EV charging in cities

Uber & C40 Cities have agreed to an international partnership to help cities significantly boost access to charging infrastructure.

The C40 programme will work across three cities - London, Boston and Phoenix - to facilitate the uptake of EVs by high-mileage drivers. It is projected to benefit over 55,000 Uber drivers who currently lack access to affordable and convenient charging, through technical support, research, and policy advocacy.

Uber has surveyed drivers since 2021 on their willingness to switch to an EV. For the first time since this survey began, access to charging has become the top issue preventing drivers in the US and UK from going electric, overtaking the cost of EVs. 

Uber is also launching the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Estimator (EVIE) tool, giving cities access to projected future demand for EV charging from Uber drivers. With charging access a top barrier to EV adoption for drivers, the EVIE tool will support infrastructure planning in cities, helping identify ‘charging deserts’ where installations are most needed.

The initial rollout for the tool includes 40 cities around the world, giving municipal and utility officials the ability to pinpoint, down to less than a square kilometre, where public chargers should be installed to help more high mileage drivers go electric. With professional drivers delivering up to four times the emission savings compared to regular motorists, using this tool can help cities deliver oversized climate impacts in their communities.

For example, across the 40 cities now available in EVIE, Uber analysis shows that we need  more than 10,000 public fast-chargers and 270,000 home chargers to meet the demand from Uber drivers going electric. A majority of these chargers will need to be installed in areas where EV infrastructure has been historically lacking, including higher density urban areas, airports, and areas designated as economic opportunity zones. Areas of high demand include neighbourhoods like Hounslow and Wembley in London, Maryvale and Eastlake Park in Phoenix and Dorchester in Boston.

As part of the partnership, C40 and Uber will work to unlock the policies needed to increase the charging available to high mileage drivers, supporting at least 55,000 drivers in the target cities and potentially thousands more in surrounding regions and cities. 

This follows Uber’s £5 million investment in charging infrastructure across three London boroughs with large populations of ride-share drivers. The latest utilisation data from these chargers in Newham shows usage over double the national average – demonstrating the benefit of building EV chargers in previously underserved locations. 

In addition, Uber has announced an international partnership with Vmoto to help accelerate the transition of couriers to zero-emission vehicles. Through partnerships like this, Uber Eats is aiming to help transition more than 100,000 motorbike couriers to electric options across seven European markets by 2030.

Supplier partners will be offering exclusive discounts on vehicles as well as maintenance and charging services which could save couriers hundreds of pounds or euros on the upfront cost of renting or purchasing Vmoto e-mopeds. E-mopeds will be made available via partners like Zenion, Zoomo and Ride Today. Discounted e-mopeds will be available to rental partners and couriers in Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Lisbon, London, Madrid, and Paris. 

Uber and Vmoto will collaborate on London’s first battery-swap pilot for electric mopeds in London in Q3 2025. This new model allows couriers to quickly exchange depleted batteries for fully charged ones at dedicated swap stations, dramatically extending vehicle range without the downtime or infrastructure challenges of home charging.