Major change to Uber that will affect the way millions of customers order a ride

A new feature in the Uber app gives passengers the option to order a hybrid or electric car, in a bid to inspire Australians to make greener choices.

Passengers can see how much CO2 emissions they have saved while traveling with two new sustainable options: Uber Green and Comfort Electric.

Uber Green gives customers the option to drive an electric or hybrid vehicle, which costs the same as a regular UberX.

The ‘Comfort Electric’ option picks up riders in a fully electric car that must have completed 100 journeys and maintained a 4.85-star rating.

With the new initiative, called ‘Rider Emissions Savings’, passengers can see on the app how many kilos of CO2 emissions they have saved.

A new feature in the Uber app gives passengers the option to drive a hybrid or electric car, in a bid to inspire Australians to make greener choices (the feature is pictured)

Emissions saved are calculated based on the amount of tailpipe emissions avoided compared to the same trip via UberX or ‘Uber Comfort’.

Anna Brito, head of sustainability, strategy and planning at Uber Australia and New Zealand, said the company wanted to make it easier for Australians to make greener choices.

“We know Aussies love nothing more than friendly rivalry, and with competition in the air this week, we’re calling on our riders, including Blues and Maroon fans, to support another colour: green,” she said.

‘We want to make it effortless for our riders to embrace a lower-emissions lifestyle, and we hope this new feature encourages Aussies to rethink their habits when it comes to greener ways of traveling.’

In the first quarter of 2024, Australians made 1.8 million EV journeys in more than 4,000 EV Ubers – more than 20,000 journeys in zero-emission vehicles per day.

EV vehicles accounted for four percent of Uber drivers’ miles during that period, with Uber saying it had committed to eliminating tailpipe emissions by 2040.

EV vehicles accounted for four percent of Uber drivers’ miles during that period, with Uber saying it had committed to eliminating tailpipe emissions by 2040

Research from Pureprofile shows that more than half of Australian drivers plan to buy a new car next year.

Up to 30 percent said they planned to buy an electric model, 20 percent wanted to buy a hybrid car and the other half stuck with petrol vehicles.

The biggest reasons behind purchasing electric cars, according to the study, are potential fuel savings, environmental benefits and energy efficiency, as well as the ability to use solar energy to boost travel.

However, the report also found that rising costs of living and high purchase prices for electric cars were downsides, and that government rebates would not be enough to change people’s minds.

The research came a month after the federal government introduced laws aimed at increasing the supply of electric vehicles in Australia, with figures showing electric cars making up almost 10 percent of new car purchases.

So far this year, electric car sales have increased by almost 27 percent, while hybrid car sales have doubled over the same period.