Uber reveals new airport and car sharing discounts for users that choose “green”
Uber is continuing its efforts towards a greener future in rideshare. On June 8, the company hosted GO-GET Zero, its first-ever sustainability product event.
At the London event, Uber revealed new products and features aiming to progress their goal of zero emissions and having little to zero impact on the environment.
The new offerings include:
An airport pickup and dropoff incentive for riders selecting hybrid or electric vehicles.
Updated navigation algorithms that Uber says are more eco-friendly.
A new peer-to-peer car sharing option.
An in-app search filter for Uber Eats restaurants that use sustainable packaging.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi shared that the new offerings are intended to make choosing green an effortless option. “Together these small changes add up to something big: building sustainability into the core user experience across our global platform, one ride and delivery at a time.”
According to Afar, these zero-emission goals are part of Uber’s pledge to spend $800 million to transition the hundreds of thousands of people currently driving for them to electric vehicles (EVs) by 2025.
They mentioned that EV drivers have tripled within the past year. More than 60,000 are currently on the roads in North America and Europe.
Here are some new green features the San-Francisco-based company rolled out at the event.
“Green Curb”
Riders at select airports will get discounted fares and access to preferred pickup zones when choosing a ride categorized as Uber Green (a hybrid or electric vehicle) or Uber Comfort Electric (highly rated drivers in a Tesla Model 3, Mustang Mach-E, or Polestar).
Airports with ‘Green Curb’ availability include London Heathrow Airport (LHR), Madrid Barajas International Airport (MAD), Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX), and Portland International Airport (PDX).
The company insisted more airports will be added in the future.
Discounts/fees and vehicle availability will vary by airport.
“Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing”
North America and Europe can choose Uber’s newest product, peer-to-peer car sharing. Like car rental services like Turo, customers can pick up and drive cards themselves. Within the Uber app, users can browse nearby available cars and instantly reserve and drive them.
Afar mentions in 2022, Uber acquired Car Next Door, an Australian car sharing company, and rebranded into Uber Carshare later that year.
The program will be in North America and Europe for the first time, with Boston and Toronto serving as the initial launch cities.
Uber is also making upgrades to their technical capabilities by making improvements to its navigation algorithms. They hope the adjustments will reduce emissions by lessening distance and making rides more efficient.
Uber Eats is also getting on its mission to go green by allowing app users to easily find restaurants that use sustainable packaging.
The announcements during the event were all evidence of how serious Uber is about their plans to go green.
Khosrowshahi passionately stated sustainability is the company’s “north star.”
Afar reports that Uber recently joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to implement best practices in emissions accounting, target setting, and transparency. They plan to provide riders with information on the carbon impact of their trip within the app.
Uber is hoping to shift the culture and do their part to integrate green travel.
Martie Bowser is a journalist and public relations professional in Charlotte, NC. She enjoys amplifying the voices of POC and women that fill a void within their community. Her favorite things to cover include “person of interest” pieces, small business highlights, pop culture commentary, entertainment features, and everything about Beyoncé. Her bylines can be found in Blavity, Black Excellence, Signature Bride, Black Wall Street Times, and HipHop Weekly. Martie can be reached via email at martiebowser@detourxp.com.