Uber has struck a deal with Tesla which will allow London drivers to access the electric vehicles as part of an incentive scheme to boost the use of greener cars.

Under the agreement, from Wednesday, Uber drivers will have access to a clean air fund to buy or lease a Tesla car.

Uber’s new partnership with the electric car manufacturer marks a key step towards the company’s commitment for all its vehicles in London to be fully electric by 2025.

The ride-hailing app began adding a 15p per mile clean air fee in London in January 2019 to help drivers with the cost of switching to greener cars.

This has raised £135m – and funds have built up for each driver depending on how many miles they have clocked up.

An Uber spokesman said a typical driver has around £3,500 to £4,000 available to put towards making the switch to an electric vehicle (EV).

The new deal is a continuation of Uber‘s green plan which has already seen more than 4,000 of its drivers make the switch to an electric car. More than 90% of new vehicles joining the app are now EVs.

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Passengers in central London have also been given the option to request a fully electric car for their journey, since March.

The clean air fund has been made available to help drivers make the switch to EVs manufactured by other firms too, including Nissan, Hyundai and Kia.

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Jamie Heywood, Uber’s general manager for northern and eastern Europe, said: “The launch of Uber Green this year means that drivers earn more per trip in an EV, so there has never been a better time to make the switch.

“Uber drivers are switching to electric vehicles at a much faster rate than the mass market, thanks to the lower running costs and greater earning potential of driving in an EV.

“There is still a lot of work to do to drive a green recovery and clean up urban transport, but the progress we are seeing in London is significant and as a city we are leading the way globally.”

In May, Uber revealed a partnership with a UK van and bus-maker to produce an electric car that aims to be “purpose-built” for its drivers.

The ride-hailing app said the Arrival Car would be developed with input from those who would use it and aim to go into production in late 2023.

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