Energy Digital Magazine August 2024 | Page 20

Q . ARE THERE SPECIFIC COLLABORATIONS UBER FOR BUSINESS UK IS PURSUING WITHIN THE ENERGY SECTOR TO FURTHER ADVANCE SUSTAINABILITY GOALS , SUCH AS INTEGRATING RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES INTO ITS OPERATIONS OR SUPPORTING ENERGY- EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS ?
We have a lot of really important and strong partnerships . The biggest one is with vehicle manufacturers and charging network providers as well as EV and e-bike rental fleets along with utility companies to enhance access to green vehicles and the charging infrastructure that supports it . This is so we can position sustainability at the core of our business operations .
Another interesting partnership in this space is with Hertz , for example , to accelerate the adoption of EVs again . This partnership means that Uber drivers who need a car can actually rent a Hertz vehicle by the week , say , if they aren ’ t yet ready to buy or aren ’ t comfortable buying an electric vehicle and want to see what that looks like for them . This started in North America and provided about 50,000 Uber drivers with Teslas to rent . In EMEA , it makes available 25,000 EVs , especially in European capital cities . Going back to our urban focus , facilitating access to a wide range of EVs – whether with Tesla or Polestar – with partnerships has really unlocked getting drivers on that path to electrification .
Uber Green products . This is allowing us to pave a way to a more low carbon future , minimising greenhouse gases . The biggest role we play in starting that flywheel is educating drivers about the benefits of EV ownership and making it easier for them to go electric .
Our recently-announced £ 5,000 ( US $ 6,390 ) electric car grant for London drivers – that will obviously help us meet our pledge and get more electric vehicles on the road – will make it easier for drivers to go electric . Right now it ’ s hard , it ’ s expensive , it ’ s maybe even a little stressful . It ’ s the same reason a lot of people generally aren ’ t going electric . We enable exclusive discounts to drivers on a range of electric vehicle models and have partnerships with manufacturers . And with our new package , every driver
20 August 2024