Uber Abandons EVs & Climate, After Cozying Up With Trump

If you didn’t have enough reason to dislike Uber before, you probably do now. The app-based ride-hailing company followed Lyft’s lead and made some bold-ish EV targets several years ago, then also provided its drivers with incentives to go electric. However, as the political winds in the US have changed, it has not only developed a soft spine, but has gone along hand in hand with Trump administration changes and has now ditched its EV target and policies.

Previously on “PR Games,” Uber committed to reaching 100% electric vehicle fleets in London this year and in North America and Europe no later than 2030. Well, apparently, that’s not happening. The company has dropped its targets and has canceled its EV incentives for drivers.

Bloomberg has a story on the kind of effect this is having. “When Levi Spires, a 51-year-old Uber driver in Syracuse, New York, hit a deer and damaged his Prius last year, a $2,000 promotion from the ride-hailing giant enticed him to buy a Tesla. Over 23 months, he earned around $3,500 from Uber Technologies Inc. in additional EV bonuses driving about 139,000 miles. It was all part of Uber’s goal to rapidly move its drivers into cleaner cars,” the news organization writes. “But things changed last week when Uber discontinued the monthly EV bonuses. Losing the incentive, along with steadily declining hourly earnings, has caused Spires to rethink his future: ‘My goal is for Uber to not be my main profession anymore.'”

But here’s the kicker: Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi sat right up there with President Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson at the White House supporting the “Big Beautiful Bill.” The big ugly bill destroyed EV-supportive policies, among many other cleantech and climate policies. As the League of Conservation Voters said, it’s “the most anti-environmental bill of all time.” EV sales are forecast to be about 40% lower due to the bill. It’s a disgrace, and for Uber to be supporting it, well, Uber can not be forgiven for that.

By the way, Uber’s carbon emissions have approximately doubled in the past three years, and it now has a climate footprint larger than Denmark’s.

And we’re not done yet! California, New York City, Toronto, and some other jurisdictions have set their own requirements for when ride-hailing companies like Uber have to electrify their fleets, and, guess what, Uber is now fighting them on this. “This is why we had to get a law passed,” said Nancy Skinner, a former California state senator who authored the California law. “They weren’t going to do this on their own.” The California law requires that these firms reach 90% electrification by 2030 (measured in miles). The split of Uber’s miles that are electric is reportedly 9% in North America, 15% in Europe, and 40% in London.

By the way, despite everything else wrong with the bill, Uber supported the “Big Beautiful Bill” because it eliminated taxes on tips. Uber assumed this would attract more drivers, without Uber having to offer them more money.

As a final note, “A new staff report for Halifax regional council is recommending requirements for Uber drivers and other ride-hailing services should be brought in line with those covering all taxi and limousine drivers,” Automotive News reports. Indeed. Why shouldn’t they? Just because Uber is a giant app-based taxi company that makes drivers use their own cars, does that mean it shouldn’t have to follow the same rules and regulations as traditional taxi companies?