The electric vehicle transportation business of Uber is maturing.

Today, Uber is holding its annual Go-Get conference in London, where the company is presenting a series of changes to its transportation and delivery service that reflect the increased use of electric vehicles by drivers and couriers. One of the standout announcements is that Uber Green, the ride service featuring electric and hybrid vehicles, will completely transition to an exclusive electric vehicle service in several selected cities. Currently, Uber reports that this service is exclusively electric in 40 cities and states.

Previously, Uber Green allowed both electric and hybrid vehicles, offering an additional fare per ride (usually $1) to drivers using less polluting vehicles. However, the service will now only include battery electric vehicles, demonstrating that a growing number of drivers are using this type of vehicle on the platform. According to Uber's data, there are 180,000 drivers using electric vehicles in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

The new Uber Green, which exclusively offers electric vehicles, is available in 40 cities, including New York, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Denver, Phoenix, San Diego, Orange County, Sacramento, Las Vegas, and Palm Springs. Internationally, it will be available in all cities of France, including Paris, as well as in several cities in Australia and New Zealand, such as Sydney, Melbourne, and Auckland.

For customers wanting to choose more eco-friendly options, a feature has been implemented in the app that allows users to adjust their preferences so they are automatically matched with an electric vehicle when available. If the ETA is similar to or less than that of a conventional UberX, an electric vehicle will be dispatched. Otherwise, a gasoline-powered car will be assigned.

These app modifications complement the changes Uber introduced last year, guiding its two main user groups—passengers and drivers—toward more environmentally friendly decisions. This aligns with the company’s ambitious sustainability goals, including achieving carbon neutrality in North America and Europe by 2030, and in all global markets by 2040. To drive these initiatives, Uber formed a partnership with the Chinese automotive giant BYD last July to introduce around 100,000 electric vehicles for its drivers, starting in Europe and Latin America.

However, drivers still have many questions about the transition to electric vehicles. To address this need, the company is incorporating a new chatbot in its driver app, designed to answer basic questions, such as which model to buy, where to charge, and how much range is needed. This chatbot, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4, will be launched in early 2025. Additionally, Uber is leveraging the experience of its drivers who use electric vehicles to help mentor others interested in making the switch through a mentorship program launched from the Greenlight driver resource center. Drivers participating in this program will have access to cash rewards and other benefits.