Uber pushing its drivers into EVs

As Uber tries to build its reputation as a good citizen, it’s unveiling a new plan: get its drivers to adopt electric vehicles instead of driving cars that burn gasoline.

On Tuesday, the ride-hailing giant announced a yearlong pilot program in which it will provide monetary subsidies to some drivers who use electric vehicles, build features into its app that are specific to drivers who operate those vehicles, and partner with nonprofits and UC Davis researchers to identify ways Uber and policymakers can encourage and reward adoption of EVs.

The pilot program, called the EV Champions Initiative, starts Tuesday in seven cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle, Montreal and Austin, Texas. Incentives are specific to each market, with the company testing different benefits in different places.

In San Diego, for example, drivers can accrue a dollarper-ride bonus for using plug-in hybrids or full battery electric vehicles, with a maximum payout of $20 a week. Similar $1-per-ride incentives are being offered in San Francisco and Pittsburgh, though drivers in Los Angeles don’t earn extra.

“We see the writing on the wall,” said Adam Gromis, Uber’s head of sustainability, who said that as cities move toward sustainable transportation, companies such as Uber need to boost their environmental friendliness game. “Unless we can be delivering a more efficient form of mobility, we won’t be providing a good solution that cities need. That’s why we’ve gone into bikes. That’s why we’re working with transit. That’s why we’re focused on electrification,” he said.