Uber Reportedly Downplaying EV Incentives for Drivers As It Prepares to Miss Emissions Goals

As automakers and government agencies start to revise electric vehicle goals amid slower-than-expected adoption rates, reductions in incentives to buy and public charging infrastructure problems, among other reasons, another casualty looks to be a push to get more ride-hailing drivers to switch to EVs.

Uber is said to be scaling back incentives for drivers with EVs last week and it’s causing many who were incentivized to ditch their gas or hybrid-powered cars from making the fully-electric move, according to Bloomberg. 

While setting its own electric transition goals in London this year and in North America and Europe by 2030, Uber has incentivized drivers with a $4,000 Go Electric program in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Denver, San Francisco and Boston, as well as surrounding areas. As of December 10, that program lasts until April 30, 2026 with applicants notified in about three weeks after submitting their information. 

However, Bloomberg reported Uber is behind its goals for its EV transition that would have countered its rising emissions as trips have increased in the last five years. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi was also a supporter of the White House Administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill” this year that, among other steps to reverse initiatives championed by Democrats and the Biden Administration, took aim at federal EV incentives and sealed the fate of the $7,500 tax credit. 

Last week, the Department of Transportation proposed revised fuel economy standards that would lessen the need for automakers to sell battery-electric vehicles and focus more on gasoline-only and hybrid models. The Trump Administration had already eliminated penalties for automakers failing to achieve their Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) targets.

EVs have been nothing new for Uber and some cities have been trying to push the need for all ride-hailing drivers to continue going electric in order to operate in certain areas, something Uber isn’t in favor of. While some drivers are facing a balancing act of keeping their personal costs lower and maximizing what they make from driving for all Uber services, they and the company are about to face more competition from rapidly expanding autonomous ride-hailing services like Waymo, Zoox and Uber’s own upcoming services in Dallas which happen to be using electric vehicle fleets.