Uber pledges to go all-electric by 2030 despite not owning its fleet


There's a big hitch in Uber's climate-focused plans.
The ride-sharing app announced Tuesday that its fleet of cars, bikes, and scooters in the U.S., Canada, and the EU would go fully electric by 2030, mirroring Lyft's similar pledge from June. But both Uber and Lyft don't even own the cars they want to make the switch, and drivers who say they're routinely underpaid by the service likely won't feel motivated to do so for them, Wired reports.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi called the company's Tuesday pledge part of its "clear responsibility to reduce our environmental impact," which includes rebuilding communities "for people, not cars," with "more green spaces and fewer parking spaces," he said. Promoting electric vehicles is a big part of that environmental goal, especially since the average Uber ride produces more emissions than just owning a car because a driver has to travel to pick a passenger up.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But the electric switch also comes at a cost for drivers. Small electric vehicles cost about $10,000 more upfront than gas cars, per Kelly Blue Book. That's a big price to pay for typical drivers, who don't consider Uber a full-time job and are using their personal cars to make ends meet. Uber is planning to address that by spending $160 million each year through 2025 on incentivizing drivers to switch, including by paying EV drivers an extra $1 for each trip they make. Riders can also soon choose to take a "green" ride in a cleaner vehicle for an additional cost.
Still, it's bound to be a hard sell for drivers who've protested Uber and Lyft over their payment structure and their constant refusal to accept drivers as actual employees. Read more at Wired.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
How developed was Iran's nuclear program and what's left now?
Today's Big Question Israel and the United States have said different things about Iran's capabilities
-
The downsides of a 'forgotten' 401(k) and how to find it
the explainer Don't leave your old retirement plan behind
-
AI chatbots are leading some to psychosis
The explainer The technology may be fueling delusions
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores