Free Uber rides for a decade for Londoner who clocks up most 'green' journeys by end of November

Uber is offering the Londoner who clocks up the astir “green” miles successful its electrical vehicles the prize of 10 years of escaped travel.

The inducement was announced astatine a clime league astatine the Science Museum connected Tuesday arsenic Uber chiefs said they were committed to driving the power to electrical cars worldwide.

Sachin Kansal, a vice president astatine Uber, said the prize would spell to the London rider who clocked up the top savings successful CO2 emissions by the extremity of November by travelling by electrical car connected the Uber Green app.

About 3.5 cardinal Londoners question by Uber.

An Uber spokesperson said the prize would person a nominal worth of £10,000, and would instrumentality the signifier of vouchers that could beryllium spent crossed Uber’s apps, including for bid tickets, UK flights and connected the Uber Eats app.

Uber besides utilized the “go-get zero” clime league to uncover changes to its app that volition marque it easier for passengers who privation to question by electrical car to bash so.

It is offering escaped location charging kits – worthy up to £1,000 - to 1,000 Uber drivers successful the UK, to promote the take-up of electrical cars.

Uber main enforcement Dara Khosrowshahi said much than 182,000 EV drivers were moving connected the Uber app worldwide.

In London, astir a 3rd of rides are by electrical vehicle.

Referring to concerns successful the aftermath of the planetary autumn successful request for EVs, Mr Khosrowshahi said: “To immoderate grade you would beryllium right, but that is not the full story.

“At Uber, EVs are truly taking off.”

He added: “For drivers, it’s astir ne'er having to wage for state [petrol oregon diesel] again, and little attraction costs. Drivers besides archer america they get tipped much erstwhile they thrust an EV.”

By the extremity of the month, Uber users volition beryllium capable to alteration the preferences successful the app to guarantee that an “Uber Green” EV arrives, arsenic agelong arsenic it is wrong a fewer minutes of a modular Uber X.

Some passengers had antecedently suffered longer waits for an electrical conveyance owed to less being connected the road.

Uber Green trips volition beryllium the aforesaid terms arsenic regular Uber X trips.

As portion of the launch, Uber volition see the Lotus Eletre, a £100,000 luxury SUV, arsenic a “pop up” astonishment for Londoners booking Uber Green rides.

These cars volition beryllium driven by Uber “ambassador” drivers – with nary other complaint for riders to question successful luxury.

With less young radical holding a driving licence, Uber wants to connection a “real alternative” apical car ownership, particularly for environmentally-minded radical surviving successful cities.

The escaped location charging kits, which motorboat connected November 1, volition beryllium provided successful concern with the vigor steadfast Octopus and the Chinese conveyance shaper BYD, which has go the world’s largest shaper of EVs.

Drivers are promised “the cheapest charging successful the UK” but archetypal person to bid a BYD electrical car and motion up to the Intelligent Octopus Go charging tariff. They volition besides beryllium required to person a driveway oregon allocated parking extracurricular their home.

Greg Jackson, Founder of Octopus Energy, said: “With Octopus’s astute charging technology, BYD’s outstanding cars and Uber’s enactment connected greenish mobility, the unstoppable transport gyration is good and genuinely underway.”