UBER UPDATE
UBER LAUNCHES FLIGHT BOOKINGS IN THE UK IN ONE-STOP SHOP TRANSPORT APP PUSH
Last month, Uber announced plans to be a “one-stop shop” for transport. It was announced on 10 May that the next step on that journey will be the ability to book both domestic and international flights from the app. Flight booking will be provided by the online travel agent Hopper and, according to
Uber UK’s General
Manager, Andrew Brem, will take “as little as one minute”. Upon entering travel details and the dates, Uber users will be able to select both the departing and returning flights of their choice, before paying in the app. Uber says that with “major carriers” you’ll also be able to select seats in the app.
Travellers will enjoy the benefits that Hopper offers its customers directly including a Flight Disruption Guarantee, the ability to cancel or change for “any reason”, and Price Freeze - where you can lock in a price for a small deposit while you make other arrangements. With Uber recently introducing step-by- step airport directions, and now supporting trains across the National Rail network and Eurostar; coaches with
National Express and Megabus; and even Thames Clippers, it really is turning into a one-stop app for travel in the UK and beyond. However, to begin with, flights will be exclusive to UK customers from this summer.
UBER AIMS TO HAVE AN ALL ELECTRIC FLEET IN LONDON BY THE END OF 2025
Uber has announced plans for all its London drivers to use EVs by the end of 2025 in an ambitious move to make the city the firm’s first all-electric location. To encourage drivers to make the switch, Uber has set up a web page: “Upgrading to an Electric Vehicle in London”. Along with detailed benefits of using an EV in London, the site allows access to Uber’s “GoElectric Info” sessions, taking the form of online webinars. Existing Uber drivers using EVs join the sessions to answer questions, while the attendees also hear about potential savings following a switch to an EV, which EVs are the most popular on Uber and how the firm’s ‘Clean Air Plan’ works. The latter scheme allows drivers to build up ‘EV assistance’ credits that can then be used to help fund the purchase or leasing of an electric car. Uber confirmed that the most popular electric cars used by its drivers include the Nissan Leaf, Kia e-Niro and Tesla Model 3, though larger and more luxurious models - such as the Tesla Model S and X - are available for Uber’s “Comfort” or “Exec” ride options. Drivers working for Uber can avail of discounts through PartnerPoint, and Uber’s website offers advice on price, range and charging speed. It
60
suggests that a typical London-based Uber driver could expect to cover 100-130 miles per day, which is well within the capability of most new electric cars. Uber plans to pay for 700 additional EV chargers to be installed in less affluent areas of London - Newham, Redbridge and Brent - as many of its drivers live in those areas and they are not currently well-served by the slow roll out of the public EV-charging network. In an update on Uber’s environmental, social and governance progress published at the end of last month, it claims to have “tripled the number of EVs on the platform and connected 31 million unique riders with a ride in an electric vehicle” globally. “London is already Uber’s most electrified city,” said Andrew Brem, Uber’s UK general manager. He added the transition to EVs goes through periods of “headwinds and tailwinds”. The tailwinds are that London is supporting the move to EVs: there is no congestion charge and TfL has decided not to approve any more taxis that are not at least a plug-in hybrid, although our goal is 100 per cent electric. “Headwinds are the overall shortage of vehicles in the market and the cost-of-living challenge. Will we make it by the end of 2025? Yes, but it will be very difficult.”
JUNE 2023 PHTM
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