You'll soon be able to book Uber Green electric car rides without a surcharge
Doubling down on its existing efforts to transition drivers to electric vehicles by 2025, Uber will allow riders to book Uber Green rides for the same price as an UberX beginning Friday, the ride-hailing service told TPG under embargo ahead of its public announcement Thursday.
For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Starting on Earth Day, April 22, Uber users can take an EV Uber, also known as Uber Green, for the price of an UberX, effectively eliminating the existing $1 surcharge Uber has levied since introducing Uber Green rides.
Also this week, riders can participate in Earth Week-themed promotions while also saving money on Earth-friendly rides, including:
- $1 off each Uber Green, Lime E-Bike and Lime E-Scooter ride taken April 21-30, by entering promo code "GoGreen22" in the Uber app.
- All users can also elect to take a green route for all trips, regardless of the type of vehicle booked.
Some users requesting an Uber Green in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., or Miami may also get to see a show during the ride.
"Uber is surprising lucky Uber Green riders with a customized electric vehicle outfitted with an exciting external green wrapper, and equipped with hi-res interior screens inside that will take riders to some of Earth’s most beautiful places, such as the Arctic, the Serengeti, or the Great Barrier Reef," a spokesperson for the company said.
In announcing its $800 million pledge in 2020 to reach zero emissions globally by 2040, Uber introduced its Green Future Program, which, among other environmental initiatives, includes Uber Green.
Touted as a "new low-emission ride option," Uber Green gives riders the chance to book Uber rides via an electric or hybrid vehicle for just $1 more than the price of an UberX, prior to today's price match announcement.
Just over a month ago, both Uber and Lyft announced they were adding a temporary surcharge to all rides to reflect the price of gas.
Uber Green is a major effort behind the company's intention to fully transition hundreds of thousands of Uber drivers to using battery electric vehicles by 2025 across the United States, Canada and Europe.
Currently, North American-based drivers are also eligible to earn an extra $1 on every Uber trip taken in a fully electric vehicle.
As of September, Uber Green has expanded to 100 major urban markets, "making it the most widely available on-demand mobility solution in the world for no- or low-emission rides," according to an Uber spokesperson.
In the past year, Uber has doubled its use of zero-emissions vehicles on its platform, with an average of nearly 6,000 monthly active ZEV drivers across all Uber markets, according to data shared by the company.
Related: Uber and Lyft add fuel surcharge amid rising gas prices
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023
Rewards Rate
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro Offer
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel75,000 bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023