Uber announced it’s helping accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles through its partnership with Hertz into Canada, where rideshare drivers who use the Uber platform can now sign up to rent Teslas on a weekly basis from Hertz in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.
The first Teslas will be available this summer as part of their North American partnership with Hertz announced last fall, which will make up to 50,000 fully electric Teslas available for drivers to rent by 2023, exclusively for drivers using the Uber network.
As they continue towards Uber’s zero-emissions goal, the partnership with Hertz reflects the largest expansion of electric vehicles (EVs) on a mobility platform in North America and one of the largest globally.
In the US, we’ve seen over 15,000 drivers participate in this program and with more than 5 million fully electric trips completed, which totals over 40 million miles driven. For 95% of drivers renting a Tesla through Hertz, this was the first-ever EV they had driven on Uber’s platform. In a survey, 92% of drivers renting a Tesla with Hertz say they are considering purchasing an EV.
“Hertz is leading the way in electrification, shared mobility and a digital-first customer experience by offering the largest electric vehicle rental fleet in North America,” said Jeff Nieman, Hertz Senior Vice President, Operations Initiatives. “Canada is the next frontier for our exclusive partnership with Uber, reaffirming our commitment to being an environmentally-forward company.”
In a recent survey of drivers in Canada, Uber found that 71% of drivers on the platform are interested in switching to an EV. This is significant as these drivers drive more than the average person, meaning every one that switches to an EV has an outsized impact on putting green kilometers on our streets. Research shows that when rideshare drivers go electric, they realize 3 to 4 times greater emissions savings than average car owners.
“Driver access to electric vehicles is an important part of Uber’s electrification goals,” said Michael van Hemmen, General Manager of Uber Canada Mobility. “Even with high gas prices, switching to an EV is a big decision. This partnership gives drivers an opportunity to try an electric vehicle as their primary rideshare vehicle and understand the benefits and cost savings of going electric.”
Drivers can enjoy gas savings as well as higher earnings potential due to Uber’s Zero Emissions incentive, which lets them earn an extra $1 on every fully electric trip driven with Uber. Renting will include insurance and maintenance. For the initial launch period, drivers will need at least a 4.85 star rating and have completed at least 150 trips to be eligible.
This partnership is marking another step towards Uber’s ongoing work to become a zero-emission platform in major cities in Canada by 2030. Progress towards going fully electric is best achieved in cities where there are partnerships across the ecosystem: government, industry, ridesharing companies and NGOs.
