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Upgrading to an Electric Vehicle in London

Uber is on a journey to a zero car-emissions future in London by 2025. With new and increasing regulations, driving costs for petrol and diesel vehicles, we're committed to helping drivers make the switch to electric vehicles, also known as EVs.

Find out more about how the Clean Air Plan works and making the switch to driving an EV below.

Why switch to an EV?

Here are 7 reasons to make the switch to an EV:

  1. Exclusive deals. There are exclusive additional savings on EVs through Uber partnerships with car manufacturers and vendors. To learn more, go to PartnerPoint.
  2. No Zone charges. Electric cars don't pay to enter the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) or the Congestion Charging Zone (CCZ). Take a look at regulation costs for non-EVs.
  3. Higher trip payments on Uber Green. You will receive 10% higher trip payments (compared to UberX) on all Uber Green trips. For riders, the price will remain the same as an UberX trip. See the benefits of Uber Green.
  4. Fuel savings. EVs enjoy reduced costs with the price of electricity compared to petrol or diesel as fuel. Added savings are available thanks to Uber partnerships with EV charging companies for both home chargers and public chargers. See making charging work for you.
  5. Better for London. Driving EVs helps reduce emissions and lower air-pollution levels, making London a healthier place for everyone.
  6. EV technology. EV technology makes for a great trip. Drivers who've made the switch say their new EVs are comfortable and easy to maintain and that their riders also love the quieter, smoother trips.
  7. Government subsidies. The government offers grants to support the wider use of electric vehicles via the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV). OZEV is currently providing funding of 75% (up to £350) towards the cost of installing electric vehicle smart-charge points at domestic properties across the UK. The grant is open to homeowners who live in flats and people in rental accommodation (flats and single-use properties). More info here.

Benefits of Uber Green

Uber Green is a trip option available exclusively to drivers in fully electric vehicles.

Driver trip payments will be 10% higher than on UberX on every single Uber Green trip.

By driving an EV, you'll make a real difference towards a cleaner, greener future for your city.

Who can confirm Uber Green trips?

EV drivers benefit from exclusive access to Uber Green trip requests.

If you sign up or switch to driving an EV on the platform, you'll automatically be made eligible to drive Uber Green.

Plug-in hybrid cars are not eligible. See the full list of accepted vehicles.

Who can use Uber Green?

Uber Green is available at any time, for any rider in Greater London.

Riders can make a more sustainable choice for the same price as an UberX trip, and they can enjoy the excitement of EV technology, plus a quieter trip in a newer car.

GoElectric Info sessions

GoElectric Info sessions – held as online webinars – are hosted by Uber and joined by current EV drivers sharing their experiences.

Sessions cover:

  • How much you could save by driving an EV
  • Which EV models are popular on Uber
  • How the Clean Air Plan works
  • Q&A with drivers with Uber who drive an EV

Test drives

To test-drive EVs available from partner vendors with support from the Clean Air Plan, go to PartnerPoint.

Driving EV and FAQ videos

Watch the videos below to find out more about making the switch to EV.

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How Uber's Clean Air Plan works

Uber's Clean Air Plan is a scheme designed to:

  • Reduce the cost of upgrading to an EV for drivers
  • Boost your earnings, and
  • Support the Mayor's vision of a cleaner, healthier London.

Before you're in an EV

For every trip you picked up between 16 January 2019 and 14 March 2022, in London inside the M25, a Clean Air Fee was collected.

This money built up and, if it has reached at least £100 and you meet the criteria, you can apply to use it to help reduce the cost of an EV through an approved vendor.

Getting an EV

To claim the Clean Air Plan funds (also known as EV assistance), you need to have:

  1. £100 or more of EV assistance accumulated
  2. 150 trips completed in the past 8 weeks

Using EV Assistance

EV Assistance can be used for both the purchase or rental of an electric vehicle through an approved vendor:

  1. Purchase: If purchasing a vehicle, the whole amount of EV Assistance you've accumulated can be used towards the deposit or to reduce the weekly payments. You can only claim EV assistance once towards the purchase of an EV.
  2. Hire: If renting a vehicle, you can claim £300 of EV assistance towards a 12-week hire or £100 of EV Assistance towards a 4-week hire. You can claim EV Assistance multiple times if hiring an EV.

(New) Alternative EV Assistance payment options

If you're already driving an EV and you haven't claimed all of your EV Assistance, we've improved the ways you can access it.

How to claim your EV Assistance

  • If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will automatically receive your EV Assistance in the subsequent payment round. You only need to submit this request once.
  • We will re-review your eligibility for every monthly payment until the EV assistance that you are eligible for runs out.

How do I know if I'm eligible?

If you own your EV, to claim all of your Clean Air Plan funds (EV Assistance) in one single payment you need:

  • An 'Active' EV on your Driver account (the same EV you are claiming for)
  • 150 trips completed in the EV in the past 8 weeks
  • The EV that you are claiming your funds for must be registered in your name, as per the V5C logbook.

If you rent or rent-to-buy your EV, to claim your Clean Air Plan funds (EV Assistance) in monthly instalments of £300 you need:

  • An 'Active' EV on your Driver account (which must be the EV you are claiming for)
  • 150 trips completed in the EV in the past 8 weeks

If you're eligible each month, you'll get £300 every month until the EV Assistance that you are eligible for runs out. You'll also still be eligible to claim EV Assistance through our panel of approved vendors.

Choosing an EV

More and more EVs are coming onto the market giving drivers more choice in selecting the right car for you. Sites like ZapMap offer a great way to search for and compare EVs.

Going straight to PartnerPoint gives you the latest on which EV models and deals you can currently use the Clean Air Plan money on.

3 important numbers when looking for an EV

1. Price

Of course you'll need to compare the costs of each EV for your budget, but do remember that the Clean Air Plan and Uber-exclusive vehicle discounts may lower the price available to you as a driver versus what you see elsewhere

2. Range

A typical driver on the app in London could expect to cover 100–130 miles in a day. The "range", or distance an EV can cover before needing to recharge, is given in miles, and largely determined by the size of its battery. So a 40kW/h battery can average around 140 miles per charge, whereas a 62kW/h battery can average around 220 miles per charge.

3. Charging speed

The rate an EV can take in electricity from a charger is measured in kilowatts (kW). Most London rapid chargers are currently 50kW, but 150kW chargers are increasingly becoming available. A typical 50kW charger can recharge a 40kW/h battery up to 80% in 45 minutes, whereas a 150kW charger would take just 20 minutes (depending on battery charging speed capability).

Popular EV models on Uber

Which EVs are popular with drivers on the platform? The Nissan Leaf, Kia e-Niro, Hyundai Kona and Tesla Model 3 are top picks by Uber drivers.

EVs that can also accept other ride options include the Nissan e-NV200 which is eligible for XL. The Tesla Model 3 and Kia e-Niro are also eligible for Comfort, while the Tesla Model S and Tesla Model X are eligible for Comfort as well as Exec.

See more using the vehicle eligibility checker.

Making charging work for you

Knowing how and where you can charge your car is an important part of driving an EV. Charging at home is a great option for drivers who have the opportunity, but public charge points are available for everyone.

Public charging

London has over 6,000 public charging points, and the number is growing every month. You can charge an EV in 30–45 minutes using a rapid charge point, compared to 5–8 hours on a slow- or home-charging unit.

Finding a charge point

You can find a map of EV chargers here, provided by Zap Map.

Many EV drivers also use their app, which offers a quick and easy way to find your nearest place to charge on the go.

Free subscription + exclusive rates on bp pulse for Uber

Enjoy an exclusive offer for Uber drivers. Enjoy a free bp pulse subscription and unlock exclusive charging rates. The more you charge, the more you save!

Perks of bp pulse subscription for Uber drivers

  • No subscription fee
  • Exclusive charging rates

Charge more to save more Access cheaper charging rates from as low as 27p/kWh on the bp pulse owned network when starting and charging with your bp pulse card. Between discounts and subscription fee savings, Uber x bp pulse drivers who charge more than 300kWh per month could save at least £90 per month.

Your discount will be automatically applied and shown as a credit on your monthly invoice.

Charge seamlessly

Find ultra-fast and rapid chargers on the go with bp pulse’s app and start your charge using your bp pulse card.

Free parking at bp pulse charging hubs

Access bp pulse charging hubs with dedicated Uber chargers and get 60 minutes free parking at the Q-Park Park Lane and Kentish Town car park. Park Lane and the new hub in Pimlico will also offer 60 minutes free parking for Uber drivers – coming soon!

Home-charging your EV

If you've got access to off-street parking like a private driveway or garage overnight, installing a home charger can make charging an EV convenient and cheap.

With electricity charged at home rates – usually between 13–45p per kW/h depending on the time of day – an EV with a 60kW/h battery can be fully charged overnight for less than £10.

Discounted home chargers & installation deals for drivers are now available from three OLEV-accredited home charging point suppliers:

Wallbox

Find your 360° home-charging solution: fast, safe to use, weather-resistant, easy to install, and no surprises on your energy bill. Get an exclusive 24% discount on your home charger today.

Wallbox is supporting Uber on its mission to become a fully zero-emissions mobility platform by 2040 and is offering exclusive home charger rates for drivers who have chosen greener trips.

Pod Point

Save £70! Universal charger for £929 or Save £90 on a Tethered charger at £959; access to Pod Point's public network; understand your energy usage via the Pod Point app; Installation & 4-year warranty included.

Your unique reference number is your Uber registered email address.

EO

Save up to £50! Universal charger for £945! Tethered for £965. Smallest fast charger on the market; schedule charging through EO app; VAT, standard installation & 3-year warranty included

Save 15% on EV insurance from DCL

With DCL's EV insurance you could benefit from a replacement EV following an accident and EV Rescue to recover you to the nearest charging point if you run out of charge.

Enquire now for a competitive quote, with a 15% Uber EV discount!

Regulation costs for non-EVs

Costs are rising for non-EVs due to charges for driving in London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and Congestion Charging Zone (CCZ).

  • To help improve London's air quality, vehicles driving in the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) must meet exhaust emission standards or now pay a daily charge of £12.50.

    EV drivers do not need to pay the ULEZ charge.

  • Most drivers now need to pay the £15 Congestion Charge if they travel within the charging Zone during charging hours (7 a.m. – 10 p.m., every day).

    EVs do not need to pay the Congestion Charge until December 2025 (or until October 2021 for plug-in hybrids) thanks to TfL's Cleaner Vehicle Discount.

    Uber Access drivers with wheelchair-accessible vehicles are also exempt as long as they are fulfilling a private-hire booking (i.e., on a trip).

    See more:

  • These zones are set by local councils to help reduce air pollution in the area, fining any driver who uses them in a more polluting vehicle.

    EVs do not have to pay the fines, and rules like these are expected to apply to more London streets in the coming years.

    Ultra Low Emission streets in Hackney & Islington will fine all petrol, diesel and older hybrid vehicles (any vehicle emitting more than 75g CO2/km) £130, reduced to £65 if paid within 14 days. It's active on weekdays, from 7–10 a.m. and 4–7 p.m.

    Beech Street in the City of London can only be used by vehicles with at least a 20-mile zero emission range, no more than 75g CO2/km and Euro 6 equivalent NOx emission standard. Fines for other vehicles are £130, reduced to £65 if paid within 14 days.

    See more:

Frequently asked questions

  • To claim the Clean Air Plan money (also known as EV assistance), you need to have:

    1. 150 completed trips in the past 8 weeks
    2. £100 or more of EV assistance available to you

    You can only use this money on EV deals with approved vendors available through PartnerPoint.

    Uber will transfer the EV assistance directly to the vehicle vendor to support your upgrade. Further information can be found in the above section on Claiming EV Assistance and the T&Cs of each vehicle deal.

  • Joining an EV info session or taking a test drive can be a great way to learn more about upgrading and get your questions answered.

    GoElectric Info sessions

    GoElectric Info sessions – held as online webinars – are hosted by Uber and joined by current EV drivers sharing their experiences. Sessions cover:

    • How much you could save by driving an EV
    • Which EV models are popular on Uber
    • How the Clean Air Plan works
    • Q&A with Uber drivers who drive an EV

    To sign up for the next session, click here.

    Test drives

    To test-drive EVs available from partner vendors with support from the Clean Air Plan, go to PartnerPoint.

  • No, check PartnerPoint for approved vendors and deal options.

  • You will receive an email update each month with the amount of Clean Air Plan money you've built up (tip: search for "EV Assistance" in your inbox).

    Alternatively, you can write into our Support team via the in-app Help section under Clean Air Plan.

  • When drivers claim EV assistance, this is likely to be treated as additional income and subject to income tax. Please seek advice from your tax advisor.

  • The eligibility to claim EV Assistance for a Fleet Partner is based on the Clean Air Fees that were collected on trips booked through the Uber app by the Fleet Partner and any drivers employed by the Fleet Partner. Drivers employed by the Fleet Partner cannot claim EV Assistance separately from the Fleet Partner.

    A Fleet Partner can claim multiple times for EV assistance to support multiple vehicle upgrades, subject to the terms and conditions. Full details of a Fleet Partner's eligibility criteria is outlined in the T&Cs.

    If you are a Fleet Partner and are ready to claim EV assistance through one of the Clean Air Plan approved dealers, get in touch with Uber through the app to find out how.

  • The Clean Air Plan is designed to help tackle some of the key challenges drivers face in upgrading to cleaner vehicles. The plan is only available to drivers in London, but we're excited to help support progress towards a cleaner future for how we move around UK cities, so look out for more information from us.

The Clean Air Plan is subject to the full terms and conditions, which are available here.

*Offer is subject to change.