Uber charges up its electric vehicle campaign

Ride-hailing app Uber has launched a year-long scheme which will provide cash rewards drivers who switch to using electric cars. The minicab firm launched the “EV Champions Initiative”, a pilot program for driver-partners to deliver at least 5 million EV rides over the next year. The program kicked off this week in seven cities — Austin, Los Angeles, Montreal, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle — in partnership with leading electric vehicle adoption experts. The program builds off existing pilots in both Pittsburgh and Portland respectively. Financial rewards for drivers who chose to make the switch to EVs is subject to change from city to city. According to the LA Times the ride-hailing firm plans to pay drivers in Pittsburgh, San Diego and San Francisco an extra $1 (76p) per ride, with San Diego drivers capping the fee at $20 (£15.20) each week. Giovanni Circella, director of the 3 Revolutions Future Mobility Program at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, said: “EV Champions brings together two of today’s transportation revolutions: clean electric vehicles and shared-use mobility. We look forward to partnering with Uber to evaluate how the initiative can improve consumer understanding and adoption of EVs.”