Uber Green rebrands as Uber Electric, with $4,000 EV grants to some drivers

Driving the news: Uber will provide $4,000 "Go Electric" grants to high-mileage, tenured drivers in markets with high demand — New York City, California, Colorado and Massachusetts — to purchase new or used EVs.

• Uber drivers in all states can get a $1,000 discount on a new or used EV through TrueCar.
• "Affordability is an issue with EVs and we want to make it as easy as possible for drivers to transition," Santosh Rao, global head of mobility sustainability, tells Axios.

Zoom in: The announcement was paired with the news of the rebranding from Uber Green to Uber Electric, which the service says will make it "easier for riders to choose zero-emissions rides."

• Uber Green previously included hybrids, but the company switched it to only pure EVs earlier this year.

• Today there are more than 200,000 EVs operating on Uber worldwide.
• In the U.S., Europe and Canada, 1 in 10 Uber miles are currently driven in EVs, according to the company.

What to watch: Whether Uber can meet its vision of transitioning to all zero-emissions vehicles by 2030.

• "We're giving it our best shot," Rao says. " We were putting resources, dollars behind it. We definitely need more action and partnership from the product industry, because climate is a team sport.
• "We can't do it alone. But we're trying to push us as hard as possible."