Uber joins London boroughs in £5m EV charger boost
Hundreds of new electric-vehicle chargers are set to be installed across north and east London, following an agreement between Uber and three London boroughs.
Over 700 fast electric-vehicle (EV) chargers will be installed on streets in Newham, Brent, and Redbridge, boosting London’s overall charging network by over seven per cent.
The new chargers are the result of a £5m investment from Uber, working with each borough to determine where chargers should be installed. These on-street charging points will improve access for those without driveways or home chargers.
Jamie Heywood, Uber General Manager for Northern and Eastern Europe said: “Drivers often tell me that being able to access reliable charging near their homes is critical to their decision to switch to an electric vehicle. By targeting investment where it is most needed, we are confident that thousands more drivers will make the switch to electric, allowing them to benefit from lower running costs and higher earnings on Uber.
“Ensuring that everyone can access EV charging will spark a mass transition to electric vehicles and help drive London towards a greener future”, he added.
In recent years, London has become the global leader in terms of Uber’s electrification efforts. More than 5,000 EVs are currently on the app in London, driving over one million electric miles per week.
Uber said it is on track to more than double this number by the end of the year and to become an all-electric platform in the capital by 2025.
Professional ride-hailing drivers are the early mass adopters of EVs with more than 90% of new vehicles joining the Uber app being fully electric, compared to 11.6% of new vehicles in the mass market in 2021.
With many drivers living in boroughs such as Brent, Newham and Redbridge, there is significant demand for more charging points in these parts of London. The capital’s concentration of EV chargers is currently highest in central and west London, with over a quarter of chargers in Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, and Hammersmith and Fulham.
This is the first time that boroughs have worked with a ride-hailing company to directly install chargers on London’s streets. The chargers will be Uber branded and available for everyone to use.
Later this year, Uber plans to expand its EV-only option ‘Uber Green’ from Zone One to the whole of London – meaning that riders will be able to request an electric vehicle from anywhere in the city for the same price as a normal UberX. Drivers will also earn 13 per cent more when taking trips on Uber Green.