UBER is offering drivers $1,000 to give up their cars for a month.
The ride-hailing company has announced the “One Less Car Challenge,” open to participants in the United States and Canada.
According to a news release, 175 people will be selected to abandon their cars for five weeks in exchange for cash and credit for other modes of travel.
The experiment will run from July 22 to August 25. Car owners in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., Miami, San Francisco, Toronto, and Vancouver are eligible.
They can apply to be part of the study through a link on Uber’s website, which will direct them to complete survey questions.
Selected participants will be gifted $1,000 for “alternative transportation options” instead of their private car.
Uber says the amount is based on the average monthly cost of vehicle ownership in the United States.
Eligible transit methods include public transit, Lime e-bikes, and e-scooters bookable in the Uber app.
Despite the name of the challenge, car rentals and rideshare are also included.
The company announced it had partnered with the Behavioural Insights Team, a UK-based research consultancy.
The firm specializes in behavioral science and will be tasked with analyzing the results of the “challenge”.
Uber asks participants to document their experience throughout the trial, “taking note of what transportation alternatives they use and the impact embracing a car-light lifestyle makes on their everyday experiences”.
The “One Less Car Challenge” appears to be a spin-off of an experiment from 2023 where Uber asked 58 Australians to give up their car for 4 weeks.
Participants ultimately reported they were able to replace the majority of car trips with alternative transport methods
Walking was the biggest replacement for personal car use, surging 75%.
The largest proportional gains were cycling and rideshare, while train and bus trips increased 156% and 86% respectively.
“We’re out to show that it’s possible to make the switch to a car-light lifestyle, saving both money and emissions, while contributing to more livable cities,” the company wrote in its latest news release.
Uber launched in 2009 after its co-founders, Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, couldn’t catch a taxi in Paris during a blizzard.
The company has come a long way since but faced a complicated and often arduous journey.
Uber fans can enroll in the subscription to cut down the cost of food deliveries and car rides.
Uber One is a subscription service that offers benefits like savings on Uber and Uber Eats.
Monthly memberships start at $9.99, while annual memberships begin at $96 (all in USD).
Uber One also has partnerships with third parties that offer a discounted membership to some users.
Uber One subscribers receive a $0 delivery fee plus up to 10% off eligible orders on restaurants and stores marked with the gold Uber One icon.
They’ll also get member pricing on eligible rides.
Users can purchase their subscription directly in the Uber app.
Uber struggled to turn an annual profit after going public in 2019 – but broke that cycle in the final months of 2023.
The company also faced hundreds of lawsuits from women alleging it wasn’t doing enough to protect passengers from sexual assault.
On Monday, a U.S. appeals court discarded a proposed class action suit that claimed Uber’s policy of terminating drivers with low passenger ratings was racially biased.
