Bay Area transit experts question the accuracy of Uber’s new carbon footprint feature, which shows customers the CO2 they save when they opt to ride in an electric vehicle. 

KQED’s Alix Soliman reports:

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To estimate CO2 savings, the popular ride-share company compares the tailpipe emissions of trips in its electric vehicles versus gas vehicles.

Uber hopes it will encourage customers, especially young people, to choose an EV ride on their app.

One problem with the new feature is it doesn’t count the large portion of emissions produced without a passenger in the car… when a driver waits to be matched with a rider, then drives to pick them up.

Joe Castiglione with San Francisco’s transit authority calls these “dead-head miles”

“…which are emitting greenhouse gasses but which are really not serving passengers or providing any societal benefit.”

Castiglione says Uber could make its analysis more accurate, but providing climate footprint information to customers is a good first step. Uber declined an interview for this story. 

UC Berkeley’s Daniel Chatman studies transportation. He said many trips on rideshare apps like Uber might have otherwise not been made by car. 

“We’re talking about a mode of travel that is intrinsically pretty wasteful in comparison to taking transit or walking or cycling. It just is.”

By 2030, California law requires 90 percent of the miles driven by companies like Uber and Lyft to produce zero emissions. 

I’m Alix Soliman, KQED News.

Photo courtesy of Uber