New EV grant brings £5k electric car discount… but only if you’re an Uber driver

Almost two years since the UK plug-in car grant was discontinued, a new scheme has been announced giving financial assistance to people buying electric cars. Don’t get too excited, though, as this isn’t one that’s being offered by the government and is exclusive to Uber drivers operating in London.

The new grant offers London-based Uber drivers £5,000 towards the purchase, lease or hire purchase of a new EV. Available now, this offer can be utilised and claimed in conjunction with other offers that the ridesharing firm provides for its drivers. This includes further discounts of anything between an extra £12-17,000 on a variety of different models (including some from Kia), adding up to a potential £22,000 saving.

That’s not all, as Uber is also partnering with BP Pulse and providing its drivers with up to £250 of free public charging per month for the first three months of ownership. This is then followed by an exclusive lower charging rate, accessibly only by members of the scheme and using BP Pulse chargepoints.

It’s not just the Uber drivers that will benefit from the firm’s recent investment in electric cars, though; Uber has recently supported Redbridge Council in installing an additional 68 charge points, as part of its pledge to provide London with an additional 700 public EV chargers.

Londoners will also be offered an incentive to go green when choosing what kind of Uber vehicle they want to book; users will be offered 10 per cent off their first Uber Green trip – one that uses a fully-electric car. Uber says its EV drivers will also earn roughly 10 per cent more per trip; although, this is likely to be due to the fact Uber Green trips typically cost more than your standard UberX ride, anyway.

Uber’s UK manager, Andrew Brem, says “Now is the time to speed up on electrification, not slow down. We cannot reach our collective zero-emission goals without continued action from policymakers and investment across the industry.”

He continued, “Uber drivers can be the catalyst for accelerating electrification across the transport sector but collaboration will be crucial to combat air pollution and work towards a more sustainable future.”

The new scheme has also been applauded by newly-reelected London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, who says it “will give drivers who need it a helping hand to switch their petrol or diesel vehicle for an electric one. Schemes like this are helping us to build a fairer, greener London for everyone.”

As for non-Uber drivers, the government remains staunch in its refusal to reintroduce some kind of incentive for EV buyers, only last month rejecting calls from the House of Lords to slash VAT on electric vehicles, claiming that “ it would impose additional pressure on the public finances, to which VAT makes a significant contribution"

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