Uber Jordan Commits to 50 Percent Electric Vehicles by the End of 2018

Press release

Published February 19th, 2018 - 06:41 GMT

Jordan has adopted progressive policies for hybrids and electric cars to encourage higher adoption rates - a boon for Uber.

Uber Jordan has announced its commitment to having 50% of vehicles on the Uber network be cleaner vehicles by the end of 2018. Today, nearly 30% of the trips that drivers deliver on Uber’s network in Amman, are provided in electric vehicles, including hybrids and even full battery electric vehicles.

Uber seeks to build a more sustainable future of mobility that can serve the growing needs of cities today and well into the future. Jordan has adopted progressive policies for EVs - hybrids and full battery electric vehicles - to encourage higher adoption rates including lower tax and negligible licensing and registration fees. Uber has seen the effects of this translate into more cars on Uber.

Hamdi Tabbaa, Head of Operations at Uber Jordan stated, “Drivers using the Uber app in Jordan stand to gain from the use of EVs, as they are far more efficient than combustion vehicles, and thus the technology can translate to lower daily operating costs for them. To put this into perspective - today it would cost a driver almost 8 Jordanian Dinars in petrol to drive 100 kilometers; to go that distance in a full battery electric vehicle, they could pay just over 1 Dinar for the electricity. The potential is huge and we are excited to play a role in developing this area.”

Tabbaa further added; “We aim to support the growing segment of EV drivers, and are currently engaging with a number of public and private sector partners, with whom we will explore ways to support EV drivers needs, especially those related to charging infrastructure”

Adam Gromis, Public Policy Manager, Sustainability & Environmental Impact at Uber said: “The large percentage of electric mobility trips in Jordan actually makes it one of the highest for Uber globally. Our network in Amman is allowing us to understand how to unlock more electric, shared mobility not just for the region, but globally. It has been a fantastic example of how we can use our technology to help attain national goals, and establish public private partnerships.”

Increasing the number of EV will allow Uber to contribute to attaining the Kingdom's energy and economic independence goals through the integration of innovative technology, thereby helping to address urban challenges and national environmental ambitions.

Background Information

Uber

Uber’s mission is to bring reliable transportation to everywhere, for everyone. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get a ride at the touch of a button? Six years and more than two billion trips later, we’ve started tackling an even greater challenge: reducing congestion and pollution in our cities by getting more people into fewer cars.

In the Middle East, Uber is already in Dubai, Cairo, Alexandria, Amman, Casablanca, Riyadh, Jeddah, Eastern Province, Makkah, Madinah, Hail, Qassim, Kharj, Yanbu, Ehsa, Taif, Manama, Beirut, Doha, Istanbul, Karachi, Lahore, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala with plans for expansion across the region To request a ride, users must download the free application for Android, iPhone, Windows Phone, Blackberry 7, or sign up at uber.com/app.