Uber to ban petrol and diesel cars in North America and Europe by 2030

The CEO of ridesharing giant Uber has announced the company will ban petrol and diesel cars from its service in North America and Europe by 2030 – 10 years before it introduces an electric-only policy in Australia.

In an appearance on CBS News, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said drivers in North America and Europe would not be allowed on its platform if they do not have an electric car by the end of the decade.

“We have a target to be fully electric in the US, Canada and Europe (by 2030),” Mr Khosrowshahi said.

“Will a driver who is driving a gas-powered (petrol) vehicle be allowed on your platform?” CBS journalist Ben Tracy asked.

“No, if we’re doing our job we’re going to be all-electric,” responded Mr Khosrowshahi.  

Earlier this year, Uber rolled out ‘Comfort Electric’ in California, allowing customers to book and ride exclusively in electric cars – separate to its existing Uber Green service which includes hybrid vehicles.

Last week, the ridesharing giant announced it would expand its Comfort Electric service throughout an additional 24 US cities, as well as Vancouver, Canada.

Both Uber Green and Comfort Electric are not available in Australia.

In June 2022, Uber halved the service fees of 2500 Australian drivers who use an electric car from 25 to 12.5 per cent.

The ridesharing company conducted a 12-month Australian trail from June 2021 which resulted in more than 378,000 trips being completed in electric cars.

By the end of the trial, Uber claims four-times as many drivers were using electric cars compared to 12 months prior.

At the time, Uber did not disclose the average age of its cars, or what percentage of its fleet uses conventional hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV), or fully-electric propulsion.