Uber Technologies UBER will launch an AI assistant based on OpenAI’s technology to help drivers switch to electric vehicles to reduce emissions.
The ride-hailing company has been committed to the transition to electric vehicles for several years and has committed $800 million (link) to help its driver partners transition to fully electric vehicles by 2040.
The AI assistant, based on OpenAI’s GPT-4o, was unveiled at Uber’s Go-Get Zero event in London on Tuesday. The chatbot is expected to launch in the United States early next year and will later expand to other locations.
It will provide personalized answers tailored to the driver’s city and eligible incentives, Uber said. At the beginning of 2025, the company will expand the use of the chatbot to include questions beyond electric vehicles.
About 180,000 Uber drivers per month are switching to electric cars in North America and Europe.
“Uber drivers are using electric vehicles five times faster than the average driver in the US, Canada and Europe. In London, almost 30 percent of all miles driven with Uber are now driven electrically,” said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.
Uber is also launching a mentorship program to match experienced electric car drivers with drivers who want to switch to electric vehicles.
Additionally, Uber is awarding $50,000 to the top merchants on its food delivery platform to help them fund their own sustainability initiatives and reach more customers.
Uber is also launching a series of pop-ups where customers can try out electric vehicles. Users in London can use the Lotus 
Try out LOT Eletre while customers in Los Angeles, Miami and Dallas take a ride in a Rivian 
RIVN R1 can book.
