Uber launches green function to provide eco-focused Londoners with new rating

Button on app allows passengers to see how green-focused they are when hailing an electric vehicle
William Mata11 March 2024

Uber has launched a tool to help passengers track their environmental impact from using its taxis.

The hail-a-ride service has introduced a button on the app that allows users to see the amount of emissions saved by choosing an electric vehicle. 

Uber said it wants the function to work in a similar way to how users already have a rating based on their behaviour as a customer. 

Dara Khosrowshahi, the chief executive of Uber, said: “We’re on a mission to make it effortless for our riders to embrace a low-emissions lifestyle.

“Just like we popularised rider ratings in an effort to promote respectful behaviour during Uber rides, we’re excited to launch the emission savings feature to both celebrate your impact and encourage greener choices when using Uber.”

The app allows users to see how their choices equate to carbon being reduced and vehicle miles being reduced. It provides an incentive for the greener option to be used.

Uber says it has launched the service after 73 per cent of Londoners say that they have become more concerned about the impact of climate change since 2020.

The company has recently been broadening its horizons and now provides a service where people can go up in a hot air balloon. It also now offers black cabs.

London is Uber’s top city for EVs (electric vehicles) globally, with more than 10,000 in the capital driving more than 20 per cent of Uber kilometres. But London has previously been said to be the UK city with the worst UK passengers.

Charlie Holding, who has driven an EV on Uber since 2019, said: “Choosing to drive an EV isn’t just a practical decision for me – it’s a commitment to help tackle air pollution for my kids and grandkids so they can grow up in a better world.

“Small choices add up, and anything that helps people realise the real-world impact they can have by choosing electric vehicles is so important.”

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