Uber and Hertz are expanding their electric vehicle rental partnership to reach up to 25,000 rideshare drivers across Europe within the next two years.
The European offering, which includes EVs like Teslas and Polestars, launches this month in London with plans to expand to other cities, such as Paris and Amsterdam, later on. The expansion follows a North American roll out in late 2021. So far, Uber says nearly 50,000 drivers have rented a Tesla through the program. Those rented Teslas have completed more than 24 million fully-electric trips.
Rideshare platforms have lofty goals when it comes to reducing emissions, but they have to rely on drivers being willing to make the switch from gas-powered to electric. The price tag of EVs can often be too burdensome to take on upfront, even if they deliver long-term savings. For its part, Uber has offered partnerships, education, and incentives to reach its goals. Rentals can also introduce riders to electric vehicles. Still, Uber will have to convert scores of drivers to electric offerings.
Hertz, which emerged from bankruptcy in 2021, has bet big on a greener future, anticipating that consumers will shift toward climate-friendly options. The company announced in September plans to order up to 175,000 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, and BrightDrop EVs over the next five years.
“The partnership is a key element of Hertz’s strategy to build one of the largest fleets of rental EVs in the world and Uber’s industry-leading commitment to become a zero emissions platform in Europe and North America by 2030,” Hertz and Uber said in a joint release.
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