Uber since April 2019 has been adding a per-mile surcharge of 15 pence to rides in London in an effort to speed up electric vehicle adoption in the city.
"Our aspiration is that by 2025 all the vehicles in London will be electric," said Huw Bevan, Uber head of rider for the U.K. and Ireland, last week during a session at the Business Travel Show in London.
Proceeds from the fees are dedicated to a "clean-air fund" for drivers. Drivers who accumulate at least £1,000 in the fund can use the proceeds to support an electric vehicle purchase or to rent one from an approved vendor.
"That clean-air fund allows drivers to draw upon that money and put it toward the purchase of an electric vehicle that they can use on the app," said Bevan.
London is currently the only city where Uber is adding these surcharges to rides. A spokesperson for Uber would not disclose additional rollout plans for the clean air fee or for the driver program.