Uber gives users a green option

UberGREEN will soon appear as an option in the Uber app, allowing users to hail an electric car.

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Uber will give users based in Johannesburg the option to order an all-electric vehicle this month. The more sustainable ride will cost passengers the same as a regular UberX ride.

The pilot project is in partnership with Nissan and BMW, which will provide a limited number of Nissan Leaf and BMW i3 vehicles. The pilot will run between Monday, 9 May and Friday, 3 June in Johannesburg.

Due to the limited number of vehicles available, "demand will be high. We ask that riders remain patient. We are looking to grow the pilot over time," says Samantha Allenberg, Uber SA spokesperson.

Allenberg says Uber will evaluate the success of the pilot over the coming months. The company hopes to extend the project to other cities in the future.

Uber SA previously allowed driver-partners to use hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Prius, but this is the first time the company is trialling all-electric cars.

According to a statement released by Uber, the transport sector accounts for 13% of CO? emissions in SA, making it the second largest emitter of CO? in the country. Uber hopes UberGREEN will help reduce emissions.

Tim Abbott, MD of BMW Group SA, says: "In order for the momentum of electric mobility to increase, partnerships like the one with Uber are essential to expose more consumers to the viability of electric vehicles and alternative mobility options."

Since the international market launch at the end of 2013, close to 50 000 BMW i3 cars have been sold worldwide. The BMW i3 was launched in SA in March 2015, at R595 000. To date, 124 vehicles have been sold.

Nissan has sold close to 200 000 Leaf vehicles globally. The Nissan Leaf was released in SA in 2013, retailing for R446 000. It was the country's first fully electric vehicle. Last year, it was reported that 80 units had been sold since launch here.

"One of the main reasons the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3 still have low sales levels in this country is that the cost is too high relative to the value delivered," Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx, said previously.

"The South African mass market is not ready for electric cars. The charging ecosystem does not exist here in terms of infrastructure as well as mindset."

The charging ecosystem will be one of the challenges Uber will have to face in its pilot project.

UberGREEN will only be available between 7am and 7pm. The option may be restricted to some areas of Johannesburg, says Allenberg, especially during rush hour.

Riders are able to request an all-electric vehicle by toggling to the UberGREEN option within the app.

Last month, Uber dropped its fares on UberX by up to 20% in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town.

Woolworths WRewards members will be among the first to have access to the electric vehicles for a limited period before the pilot officially opens to the public.

New UberX prices across the country: