Uber is stepping up its fight against air pollution in London by expanding its electric car usage in the city. With an existing fleet of 50 electric cars that can be rented by drivers, Uber will add 100 more, manufactured at Nissan’s plant in Sunderland.
The company will also install rapid charging points in Central London, exclusive to Uber drivers. The app will also be changed to allow any drivers piloting an electric car to get trips which will take them near a charging point.
General Manager for Uber in the UK, Jo Bertram said: “Our vision is for mass adoption of fully electric cars as private hire vehicles but there are some really big challenges we need to overcome,"
"Charging cars can be costly for drivers and there’s a serious lack of rapid charging points in central London.
"We hope the Mayor’s forthcoming transport strategy will lead to more chargers which private hire drivers can use. In the meantime we’re determined to make progress with a further 100 Nissan Leafs and plans for a network of chargers for drivers who use Uber."
Uber’s announcement comes alongside the results of a study conducted by Energy Saving Trust, which looked into electric cars usage in London. EST found that drivers who were using fully electric vehicles cut more than half a metric tonne of NOx and 22 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions during the course of the study compared to hybrid cars.
Andrew Benfield, group director of transport at the Energy Saving Trust said: “The study uncovered that there is real potential for many more private hire drivers to use electric vehicles in London, delivering improvements to air quality and reducing carbon emissions. The study shows that, in the main, electric vehicles are popular with both drivers and passengers."
“We also found that drivers want to see more rapid-charging options in London, as well as residential charging infrastructure to be able to re-charge overnight at or near home – the most convenient and cost-effective way of running an electric vehicle," he added.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has raised an alert on high levels of pollution in the capital, issuing warnings at bus stops, tube stations and roadsides.
Mr. Khan has warned that everyone may need to take protections to protect themselves from the polluted air, mainly caused by traffic emissions.
Uber’s decision is a major step towards dealing with the menace that is dangerous pollution levels in London.