Uber launches its fully electric service in Bucharest

US ridesharing company Uber launched its fully electric service UberGreen in Bucharest on Tuesday, February 27. The Romanian capital is the first city in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) where the company offers this service, and one of the few in Europe where Uber offers a green mobility option. The company also offers electric transportation options in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Porto and Zurich. Uber’s pilot project in Bucharest starts with 20 Renault Zoe electric cars, and aims to have at least 10,000 people use UberGreen by the end of April. The cars are Renault ZOE with the new Z.E. 40 battery, which allows a range of 400 km NEDC (equivalent to 300 km in urban and adjacent areas) after just one recharge. Uber partnered with Eldrive for this pilot project. Uber users in Bucharest who want to try the new service have to pay a base tariff of RON 1.65 per km, the same as for the UberSelect service. The minimum fare is RON 12. Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, the head of Uber’s business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, was the first to announce the company’s plans to introduce UberGreen in Bucharest. Uber was founded in the US in 2009. It became active in Bucharest in February 2015, and extended its services to Cluj, Brasov and Timisoara in 2016. Earlier this month, the company also introduced upfront pricing in Romania. Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com