Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced an innovative alliance between BP and Uber to explore the planning, development and deployment of BP’s rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging hubs. The EV chargers are intended to help drivers on Uber’s platform make the transition to electric vehicles.
The two companies will also work together to identify potential areas within Houston that could support deployment of BP’s EV charging hubs and create a convenient and equitable network of charging available to the public.
The collaboration supports the city’s emission reduction goals set out in the Houston Climate Action Plan and is part of BP’s global effort to help cities decarbonize. Vehicle electrification is a key strategy for Houston to lead a global transition to clean energy and make significant improvements to community health.
“Collaboration is essential to meeting Houston’s climate goals,” said Turner. “Transitioning to EVs is one of the fastest steps we can take to improve air quality and community health in Houston. Rideshare – with its high popularity and diverse customer base – is a perfect place to start. I’m thrilled to see Uber and BP join forces to add to Houston’s goal of increasing the affordability and accessibility of EVs in our community.”
Equitable access to EV charging will help build a sustainable future for people of all socioeconomic backgrounds. As a result, all members of the pilot program will be looking at ways to bring EV charging to underserved communities and ensure proportional distribution of infrastructure and resources.
“Ensuring an equitable transition for drivers to EVs requires bold action, and more importantly, thoughtful collaboration across the public and private sector,” said Shin-pei Tsay, head of transportation and cities policy at Uber. “This program breaks ground on a new kind of network that’ll include more accessible charging solutions for drivers of all backgrounds and help them move with us toward a greener future.”
Uber has pledged to become a fully zero-emission platform by 2040, with 100% of rides taking place in zero-emission vehicles, on public transit, or micro-mobility solutions like bikes or scooters. To do so, Uber is committing more than $800 million in resources to incentivize hundreds of thousands of drivers transition to battery EVs by 2025. Uber and bp pulse, BP’s EV charging brand, partnered recently in the U.K. to offer London-based drivers on Uber’s platform access to special EV charging discounts; the Houston announcement marks the first North American collaboration between the companies.
The city of Houston formed EVolve Houston, a coalition of sustainability-minded civic, business, and academic leaders who seek to accelerate clean transportation through electrification, and has established a goal of 30% electric vehicle adoption by 2030.