Ride-hailing giant Uber has struck a deal with Tesla that will give their drivers access to a clean air fund to buy or lease one of their EVs.

First introduced in 2019, the clean air fee adds 4 cents to every passenger mile driven in London and has so far raised over $184 million. This fund is used to help Uber drivers get their own EV at a discounted price. So far models such as the Nissan Leaf and Kia Niro EV have been available as part of the programme, but now Tesla’s EVs will be as well.

Uber is heavily incentivising EVs as the firm aims to only have fully electric cars in London by 2025. So far, around 4,000 London-based Uber drivers have made the transition to electric. Jamie Heywood, head of Uber Northern and Eastern Europe, spoke about the recent developments and Uber’s hopes for a greener future:

“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.”

Undoubtedly the most popular choice for London Uber drivers seeking to drive a Tesla will be the Model 3, most likely the Standard Range Plus. Perhaps the Model Y could be an option for some too, although its high UK staring price (£54,990) could deter many.

Uber’s announcement comes just days after Hertz revealed their intentions to buy 100,000 Model 3s in a  $4.2 billion order. As a result, Tesla stock has soared with the firm reaching a market cap of $1 trillion. CEO Elon Musk, who owns approximately 20% of Tesla, is now believed to be the richest person in history with a net worth in the region of $300 billion.