Uber Clean Air Plan: What does it mean for PCO drivers?
In the ongoing effort to make London a greener city, Uber is aiming to make sure that every car on their app in London is fully electric by 2025.
As a result, Uber has introduced the Uber Clean Air Plan, put in place to aid your journey towards becoming an environmentally-aware electric vehicle driver.
In January 2019, Uber launched the Uber Clean Air Plan. After just 3 years, the scheme has accumulated £145 million to help drivers switch to electric vehicles, proving to be hugely popular with PCO drivers.
As part of the Uber Clean Air Plan, Uber has implemented an initiative called EV Assistance.
What is EV Assistance?
As the Uber Clean Air Plan is aimed at getting you to switch to an EV, Uber has introduced EV Assistance to lower the cost of upgrading to an electric vehicle.
If you are eligible for EV Assistance, you can claim up to £5,000 to put towards funding your electric vehicle.
Who is eligible for EV Assistance?
In order to be eligible to claim the £5,000 in EV Assistance, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be a Non-EV driver: As a driver, you must have completed less than 10 EV trips in the last 6 months.
- Have an EV added to your Uber account by the 30th of November 2024.
- Have less than £4,900 of Uber Clean Air Plan funds. This includes drivers who previously didn’t have any Uber Clean Air Funds.
- Have not previously used EV Assistance to purchase an EV and subsequently switched back to a non-EV
You can read the full T&Cs here on the Uber website.
How to use your EV Assistance for PCO Car Hire?
When renting, drivers can claim £75 per week, which accumulates to £300 a month when using an electric vehicle with the Uber Clean Air Plan.
Hire an EV with Rapid PCO today to potentially unlock the Uber Clean Air Plan with Uber.
When does the Uber Clean Air Plan end?
You will have until the 31st of March 2025 to use your Uber Clean Air Plan funds to switch over to an EV.
Once this deadline has arrived, Uber will reallocate the Uber Clean Air Plan funds and then issue them to the next batch of PCO drivers looking to switch to an EV as an Uber partner.
Where is the Uber Clean Air Plan Located?
Initially, the Uber Clean Air Plan was introduced only to London in 2019. After its huge success Uber have now announced that they are planning to expand to even more UK cities.
For the next phase of the Uber Clean Air Plan, Uber are committed to becoming a fully electric platform by 2030.
To see if your town or city will be included in the next expansion, keep up to date on the Uber website.
Why has the Uber Clean Air Plan been introduced?
It is no secret that EVs are better for the environment. With zero emissions and exhaust fumes, electric vehicles are better for the planet and a clear choice for PCO drivers who are keen to contribute to a greener future.
Even though EVs are getting increasingly popular, there are still a few people that are either unable to afford to switch, or those that are, for whatever reason, not too fond of electric vehicles.
To get more drivers interested in switching to EV, the Uber Clean Air Plan was introduced, offering an incentive and rewards for making the change.
Through incentives like these and the government’s continued work to tackle pollution in London, the progress has been clear:
From 2016, air pollution has been reduced London-wide. Concentrations have decreased by an impressive 65 percent in central London.
As of 2024, London’s air quality is now on track to meet the UK legal limits by next year. This is 184 years earlier than it was previously projected.
This demonstrates that London has come a long way since these types of initiatives were introduced and continues to show why they are needed.
If you would like to read about the top 10 reasons why you should choose an EV as a PCO driver, you can read our blog here.
What PCO vehicles are eligible for the EV Assistance discounts?
You might be glad to hear that every fully electric vehicle is eligible for the EV Assistance discount under the Uber Clean Air Plan. Please note, Hybrid vehicles are not eligible for the Uber Clean Air Plan.
With Rapid PCO you have the option of either the tough and reliable MG5 Long range or the nifty navigator MG ZS.
You can compare both stunning vehicles here on our electric vehicle option page.
Unlock the Uber Clean Air Plan with Rapid PCO
Boost your earnings with a RAPID PCO EV and Uber Clean Air Plan!
Claim up to £5,000 back from Uber with your Rapid PCO EV rental vehicle in monthly instalments of £300.
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