Uber Is Offering $1K To Give Up Your Car For 5 Weeks
Uber will pay 175 people in seven U.S. and Canadian cities $1,000 to ditch their cars for five weeks and use alternate transportation in its One Less Car trial, the company announced. The One Less Car trial comes at a time when the average monthly cost of vehicle ownership in the U.S. is more than $1,000. This is driven by “record new vehicle prices and a 90% increase in finance rates”, according to AAA.
Uber is trying to get people to switch to alternate transportation.
“There’s never been a better time to try a car-light lifestyle!” said the rideshare company. The One Less Car trial is a five-week challenge in which up to 175 selected participants across the U.S. and Canada will give up their personal cars and instead use alternate forms of transportation, such as walking, public transit, cycling, and rideshare.
You can get money from Uber based on the average monthly cost of vehicle ownership in the U.S., they’ll provide selected participants with $1,000 to use alternative transportation options to get around instead of relying on their private car. According to the company, these options will include car-free offerings like public transit, Lime e-bikes, and e-scooters bookable in the Uber app, plus car rentals, and rideshare.
The rideshare company partnered with the Behavioural Insights Team, a research consultancy specializing in “behavioral science, to measure the impacts.” Participants will be asked to document their experience throughout the trial, noting what transportation alternatives they use and the impact that embracing a car-light lifestyle impacts their everyday experiences.
Interestingly, in 2023, they asked 58 Australians to give up their car for four weeks, and they found that participants reported being able to replace the majority of car trips with alternative transport methods. You can check out the insights from the Australian trial here.
Participants must be 18 or older, have a valid driver’s license, have a vehicle they use more than three times per week, a bank card, and “be comfortable documenting their experience.”
The $1,000 payment will come in the form of $500 in Uber Cash that can be used for Uber Rides and Lime e-bikes and e-scooters, a $200 voucher for car rentals or carshare, and $300 for other transportation modes, such as public transit. Participants will also get a free one-month Uber One membership.
Those interested in participating from July 22 to August 25 can apply here.
