UBER is planning to add a surcharge to all fares booked via its app in London to help its drivers buy electric vehicles.
The fee, expected to be 15p per mile, will be introduced “early” in 2019.
Uber said drivers working for 40 hours per week could get cash help of about £1,500 a year from passengers via the top-up fee.
The ride-hailing firm said the scheme would also contribute towards plans to curb air pollution in the capital.
Uber said it expected the scheme to raise more than £200m ($260m) over the “next few years” to help drivers swap vehicles. It said the fee would add about 45p to the average London journey.
Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber’s chief executive, said in a statement that the plan was a “a long-term investment in the future of London aimed at going all electric in the capital in 2025”.
He added: “Over time, it’s our goal to help people replace their car with their phone by offering a range of mobility options – whether cars, bikes, scooters or public transport – all in the Uber app.”
It said the introduction of the fee would build on other partnerships it has fostered to improve London’s infrastructure for electric vehicles which have led to the installation of more charging points.
In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Mayor of London said Uber’s recognition on the importance of clean air was a “positive step”.
She added: “Electric cars are not a complete solution. We also need to address the damaging impact that the rising number of private hire vehicles has on congestion and air pollution.”
The Uber initiative comes soon after the UK government cut subsidies for buying greener cars. From 9 November, grants for plug-in hybrids will stop and those for all-electric cars will shrink from £4,500 to £3,500.
