Ride-hailing giant Uber is expected to miss electric vehicle targets because of Sadiq Khan's Congestion Charge in place across London.
There are more than 45,000 private hire drivers in the capital who regularly use the Uber app, with it being one of London's most popular ride-hailing apps.
Uber's Clean Air Plan has raised £100million to help its drivers upgrade to a fully electric vehicle and avoid any charges through London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) or the Congestion Charge.
The "PowerUp Package" could help Uber drivers save up to £28,750 on the cost of an electric vehicle. Drivers can save thousands of pounds on certain vehicles, receive charging credits, and receive a lump sum of £3,500.
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The Congestion Charge will see electric vehicles pay £15 daily from December 25, 2025
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However, Uber is now warning that it could miss its lofty target of having all of its users in London driving electric vehicles by the end of the year.
The target was first introduced in 2018, with estimates showing that around 40 per cent of total miles driven around the capital are completed in electric cars.
While this is an improvement on the amount covered since 2023, Uber is expected to miss its EV-only target before the end of the year.
The aim could be further put at risk with incoming rule changes launching at the end of the year, which will see electric vehicles forced to pay the Congestion Charge.
From December 25, 2025, electric vehicles will have to pay the £15 daily fee if they drive inside the charging area in central London. This is expected to add more than £5,000 to the total bill of a full-time Uber driver every year.
A spokesperson for Uber told The Telegraph: "The exemption for EVs from the Congestion Charge has been instrumental in making EVs attractive for drivers."
Since the private hire vehicles are not owned by the San Francisco-based company, Uber drivers themselves are set to be slapped with the costs.
Transport for London has outlined that electric vehicles are not exempt from the Congestion Charge, but rather benefit from the Cleaner Vehicle Discount.
The transport authority stated that ending the CVD from Christmas Day this year will "maintain the effectiveness of the Congestion Charge".
Data from June 2024, shows that 112,318 battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are registered with the CVD, an impressive rise compared to the 20,000 registered vehicles in 2019.
Speaking last year, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the aim of the Congestion Charge is to reduce traffic, noting that even his predecessor Boris Johnson "did not think that it was right to give an indefinite exemption to vehicles".
The Uber spokesperson added: "London is a global leader in electric vehicle adoption thanks to bold policies from the Mayor of London.
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REUTERS"We have made huge progress in recent years towards our goals and remain committed to continuing that momentum, but we know we cannot achieve it alone.
“The exemption for EVs from the Congestion Charge has been instrumental in making EVs attractive for drivers and we want to work constructively on a solution that maintains London's progress in switching to fully electric vehicles."
