Uber expanding electric car service

Uber announced on Tuesday that it is expanding its offerings of electric vehicles to seven additional cities as a step in its efforts to reach zero emissions by 2030. 

Conor Ferguson, the mobility communications manager for Uber, confirmed to The Hill that Comfort Electric, the company’s fleet of all-electric vehicles, will be offered in Las Vegas; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Denver; Austin, Texas; Philadelphia; and Baltimore. The company originally launched Comfort Electric in May in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. 

The news was first reported by Axios. 

Ferguson told The Hill that Uber’s partnership with the car rental company Hertz is designed to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles throughout the country. He said customers who select the Comfort Electric option will be able to ride in a “premium” electric vehicle such as a Tesla, Polestar or Ford Mustang Mach-E. 

Ashwin Dias, the global head of vehicle and electrification, told The Hill that sustainability should not “take a back seat” to comfort or style. 

“That’s why we’re excited to announce the expansion of Uber Comfort Electric, our first fully electric offering for riders who want to travel comfortably and sustainably,” Dias said. “Now, there are even more ways for riders to travel and be a part of the climate solution.” 

Ferguson said more than 15,000 drivers have rented a Tesla through the program, completing more than 5 million fully electric trips and driving more than 40 million miles. 

Uber is also rolling out a training video for customers who have had trouble opening Tesla doors after getting feedback from drivers. 

The video, posted on the company’s Twitter page, states that riders should push the wide part of the door handle and grab the thinner part to pull the door open. To get out of the car, passengers should push a button on the side of the door as they push the door out to exit.

—Updated at 3:09 p.m.