Automotive Fleet
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Uber Incentivizes Drivers to Switch to Electric Vehicles

The San Francisco-based ride-hailing group launched the EV Champions Initiative yesterday in Austin, Los Angeles, Montreal, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, and Sacramento, Calif.

June 20, 2018
Uber Incentivizes Drivers to Switch to Electric Vehicles

In partnership with the University of California, Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, Association des Véhicules Électricques du Québec, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, among other industry players, the pilot will increase access to EV education and resources for Uber drivers.

Photo via Max Pixel.

2 min to read


In an effort to increase the number of electrified vehicles in its service network, Uber is piloting a program to deliver at least 5 million EV rides over the next year and create monetary incentives for EV drivers.

The San Francisco-based ride-hailing group launched the EV Champions initiative yesterday in Austin, Los Angeles, Montreal, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, and Sacramento, Calif.

Ad Loading...

In partnership with the University of California, Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, Association des Véhicules Électriques du Québec, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, among other industry players, the initative seeks to increase access to EV education and resources for Uber drivers.

“EV Champions brings together two of today’s transportation revolutions: clean electric vehicles and shared-use mobility,” Giovanni Circella, director of the 3 Revolutions Future Mobility Program at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, said in a statement. “We look forward to partnering with Uber to evaluate how the initiative can improve consumer understanding and adoption of EVs.”

In a blog post, Uber said that it is working to help further educate drivers about the numerous state and city programs available for those who drive EVs, in addition to the widely-known federal programs. In some cities, drivers will receive monetary incentives from Uber to operate EVs on its network.

Additionally, Uber is partnering with Veloz, a nonprofit that works for with both public and private groups the adoption of EVs, to help California drivers who are interested in switching over; In Quebec, EV drivers who use the Uber app will receive free membership in AVEQ, which includes opportunities for reduced insurance premiums.

Uber noted the challenges drivers face with EVs, mainly “range anxiety” — or the worry about a vehicle running out of charge before reaching its destination. To combat, Uber will be releasing an in-app feature that will alert drivers if a trip is going to be 30 minutes or longer before they pick up a rider.

Ad Loading...

“Consumers’ lack of awareness about EVs is often a barrier to adopting more electric transportation,” Uber’s statement said. “That’s why we’re working to make every EV ride requested through our platform a remarkable experience. From now on, any rider in the United States or Montreal, Canada matched with a driver-partner in an EV will receive an in-app notification.”

The EV Champions initiative is being built off existing pilot programs in Pittsburg and Portland, Ore.


Related: Uber to Require EV, Hybrid Vehicles in London by 2020

Originally posted on Auto Rental News

More Green Fleet

Sketch of chassis cab truck.
Green Fleetby Chris BrownMarch 9, 2026

Startup ZMD Motors Developing Electric Conversion for Ram 5500 Work Trucks

Detroit-based company says it has begun early development of a system to convert internal combustion Ram 5500 chassis-cab trucks to electric power.

Read More →
SponsoredFebruary 26, 2026

MOVING ON FROM DEBATE: A Guide for Fleet Managers Who Just Want To Get Electrification Done

Fleet managers are done with the debate—and focused on execution. Learn how to build a practical electrification strategy that aligns infrastructure, operations, and financing while keeping costs controlled and deployment scalable with support from Blink Charging. Discover how smart planning today positions fleets for long-term performance and ROI.

Read More →
EV charging symbol
Green Fleetby Chris BrownFebruary 12, 2026

U.S. EV Adoption Is Climbing, but Commercial and Passenger Markets Diverge

New industry group data revealed that light-duty electric vehicle sales are hitting record market share and volumes, while commercial EV volume dipped. What’s driving the fluctuations?

Read More →
Ad Loading...
SponsoredFebruary 6, 2026

Hybrids: Electrification Without the Challenges

For fleet managers, fuel is one of the biggest line items in the budget — and it's one hybrids can shrink without changing how your people work. Download the eBook to see the numbers, understand the technology, and get a step-by-step guide to making the switch.

Read More →
A side view of the yellow, blue, and red Slate Auto electric pick-up truck and SUV
Upfittingby Martin RomjueDecember 8, 2025

How To Upfit Electric Work Trucks and Vans

The biggest challenge lies in balancing additional equipment and accessories with EV battery capacity and range.

Read More →
Green Fleetby Martin RomjueDecember 4, 2025

How Fleets Can Adjust Approaches To EV Adoption

With the expiration of federal incentives, EV success now hinges less on government policy and more on discounts, battery tech progress, increased range, and broader infrastructure.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Panelists on stage at FFC.
Fleet Forwardby Martin RomjueOctober 29, 2025

Despite World Troubles, Forward Thinking Guides Fleets

Fleet operators shared their challenges during an annual conference that embraced the latest advances across all aspects of running private- and public-sector vehicles.

Read More →
Illustration of GM Energy’s vehicle-to-home system showing an electric truck connected to home power storage, the grid, and GM Energy Cloud through the myOwner app.
Green Fleetby News/Media ReleaseOctober 28, 2025

GM Energy Details Partnerships and Targets for Public Charging Build-Out

EVgo, Pilot, ChargePoint and IONNA named; goal is 35k GM-invested DC stalls by 2030, with customer-experience upgrades at sites.

Read More →
Chart showing September 2025 EV sales. New EV sales totaled 147,716 units, up 44% year over year, and used EV sales hit 40,569 units, up 76%, marking strong third-quarter performance.
Green Fleetby News/Media ReleaseOctober 23, 2025

Q3 Electric Vehicles Sales Hit Record High

EV buyers took advantage of the final federal tax credit days, while average prices edged up for new EVs and continued to decline for used models.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A green vertical bar graph chart showing the rises and dips in quarterly EV sales since early 2022.
Green Fleetby News/Media ReleaseOctober 10, 2025

EV Sales Hit Record in Q3 Before Incentives Expire

But most OEMs record low-volume sales, which means EV profitability remains a distant dream for nearly every automaker.

Read More →