Uber's clean air levy raises tens of millions in first six months

It's been revealed by the Evening Standard that the clean air levy brought into effect by Uber last January has raised £30m.

The levy, which equates to 15p-a-mile extra on every Uber ride was implemented to encourage Uber drivers to switch to electric vehicles.  

The first group of eligible drivers are expected to benefit from the fund before the end of this month. 

An Uber driver working off the app for an average of 40 hours per week may be eligible for approximately £3,000 of support towards moving across to an electric vehicle in two years’ time and around £4,500 in three years. It is believed that since the launch of the levy, the average London driver has raised £600 through the fee at an average of around 45p a trip.

Jamie Heywood, Uber’s head of Northern and Eastern Europe, stated that eventually Uber wishes to help everyone replace their car with their phone by offering a range of mobility options, including cars, bikes and public transport, all in the Uber app. 

Uber revealed that their drivers who use electric vehicles have clocked up 2.5 million miles in London with 15,000 trips per week, whilst the number of electric vehicles available on the app has risen fivefold this year.  

There has been criticism from some quarters that the volume of private hire vehicles, which include Uber vehicles, operating in major cities such as London could be actively contributing to pollution levels according to a report in the FT.

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