Uber signs deal for 2,000 Nissan Leaf electric cars
Nissan and Uber have signed a deal for the Japanese manufacturer to provide the ride-hailing service with 2,000 UK-built electric Leafs
Nissan has signed a deal with Uber to provide up to 2,000 Leafs to the ride-hailing firm’s British drivers at a discounted rate.
The all-electric Nissan Leaf, which is built at Nissan’s Sunderland plant and has a range of 168 miles, will be offered to Uber drivers as part of the company’s Clean Air Plan, which intends for every Uber in London to be fully electric by 2025.
• Best electric cars to buy right now
Nissan is also to provide Uber with an EV education programme, transaction price and marketing plan to help drive the uptake of the zero emission vehicles among drivers.
Uber’s Clean Air Plan was launched in January 2019 and saw a 15p-per-mile tariff added to all journeys within London, to go towards a plug-in car grant to help Uber drivers upgrade to EVs. So far, £80 million has been raised out of a target for the next few years of £200 million.
Each Uber driver who switches to an EV under the Clean Air Plan will save up to £4,500 compared to if they had chosen a conventional car, according to Uber. The first year of the plan saw a 350 per cent increase in the number of Uber trips completed in EVs.
Andrew Humberstone, managing director of Nissan Motor GB, commented: “Through innovation and collaboration, companies like Nissan and Uber can tackle the challenges of advancing personal urban mobility, whilst also improving air quality in our major cities.
• How to get a job as an Uber driver
“As the UK’s best-selling EV, the Nissan Leaf is the perfect vehicle to support Uber’s ambition of a 100 per cent electric fleet in London for 2025. Not only will passengers enjoy the quieter ride that comes from all-electric driving, but cyclists, pedestrians and other road users will also benefit from the zero-emissions powertrain.”
Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional general manager for Northern and Eastern Europe, added: “Our bold vision for London is for every driver on the Uber app to use an all-electric vehicle by 2025.
“The partnership with Nissan is a hugely significant step towards meeting this goal. The Mayor of London has shown strong leadership on measures relating to air quality and we’re proud to support him in delivering his vision.”
Read more about the Nissan Leaf on our sister site DrivingElectric right here...
