Uber willing to hand users $1,000 to ditch privately owned car as part of US trial

Ridehail giant Uber is offering a substantial incentive for users in the US to ditch their private cars. As part of a new trial, the ride-hailing giant will hand out $1,000 to selected participants willing to embrace a car-light lifestyle.

With the cost of vehicle ownership soaring, Uber highlights the broader impacts on personal finances, health, and urban environments. The trial, named the One Less Car Challenge, will run from 22 July to 25 August and involves 175 participants across cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., Miami, San Francisco, Toronto, and Vancouver.

Car owners in the selected cities are invited to apply for the trial. Participants will give up their personal cars and use alternative transport methods.

Uber will provide $1,000 to each selected participant, calculated on the average monthly cost of owning a car in the US. This sum can be used for public transit, Lime e-bikes and e-scooters, car rentals, and Uber rides. The Behavioural Insights Team, a research consultancy, will analyse the trial. Participants will record their experiences and the impact of using alternative transportation.

In a similar trial in Australia, 58 participants gave up their cars for four weeks. The results showed that most car trips were successfully replaced with alternative transport methods.

With nearly 233 million private vehicles in the US, Uber aims to demonstrate the viability of a car-light lifestyle. Many of these vehicles are driven less than 10 miles daily.