Australian Uber drivers embrace the economics of EVs
Uber drivers in Australia are switching to EVs at an electrifying pace - prompting the company to urge the government to assist with the rollout of charging stations.
Australian Uber drivers have been swapping their petrol-powered cars for electric vehicles at four times the rate of the general population, according to the country’s managing director Dom Taylor.
More than 3000 drivers have now made the switch, a rapid increase since 2020 when there were only 65 EVs registered on the ride-share platform. Taylor attributes Uber’s $30 million investment to cut service fees which make it more attractive to drive an EV on Uber, and progressive government policies in the past two years.
“In 2021 we surveyed our drivers, and while two-thirds wanted to be in an EV, less than 20% had the resources to make it happen. At the time, there was a real waiting game in Australia. All of the governments were looking at each other, the charging networks were looking at the Original Equipment Manufacturers and it resulted in slower action,” Taylor told the Citi Investment Conference in Sydney.
“But in 2022, a number of state governments really lent into investment and the private sector also stepped up.”
