Uber Now Offering Discounts to Switch to Teslas

Uber-Tesla partnership benefits

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Uber has partnered with Tesla to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles among its drivers in the United States. This collaboration aligns with Uber's ambitious goal of achieving emission-free operations in U.S. and Canadian cities by 2030.

Incentivizing EV Adoption: The Uber-Tesla Strategy

Uber, which uses Tesla’s API for a range-based trip planner, offers its drivers exclusive purchase incentives of $2,000 for Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y vehicles to incentivize this shift towards greener transportation. This initiative not only complements existing federal tax credits but also addresses drivers' concerns regarding the affordability and accessibility of electric vehicles.

Andrew Macdonald, Uber's Senior Vice President of Mobility and Business Operations, highlighted the significance of this partnership, telling Reuters, "We know from listening to Uber drivers that the cost of ownership and access to convenient charging are the top two barriers preventing them from going electric." By collaborating with Tesla, Uber aims to tackle these challenges head-on, making electric vehicles a more feasible option for its drivers.

Under this initiative, drivers can use a special referral code to purchase Tesla vehicles directly from the factory or from available inventory, subject to availability. To qualify for the incentives, drivers must complete the purchase by March 31 and fulfill a requirement of completing 100 trips by May 15.

Future Strategies and Sustainability Goals

In addition to financial incentives, Uber has also started hosting test drive events at Tesla stores, offering drivers firsthand experience with Tesla's EVs. This allows drivers better to understand the benefits and features of electric vehicles, potentially influencing their decision to switch to a more sustainable mode of transportation.

However, this green journey is not without its challenges. The recent announcement by Hertz to sell off about 20,000 Teslas and revert to gas vehicles highlights the complexities and evolving nature of the automotive and transportation industries. This decision by Hertz underscores the need for continued innovation, adaptability, and resilience in pursuing sustainable transportation solutions.

Another critical aspect of this collaboration involves Uber sharing data with Tesla regarding the charging needs of its drivers. Focusing initially on New York City, this data exchange aims to identify areas where charging infrastructure is most needed, particularly in regions where drivers frequently operate. This strategic approach ensures that charging solutions are effectively deployed, addressing one of the primary barriers to EV adoption among Uber drivers.

As of last year, Uber reported having approximately 74,000 active EV drivers across the United States, Canada, and Europe. This partnership with Tesla represents a significant step forward in increasing that number, as it not only makes EVs more accessible to drivers but also contributes to the broader goal of reducing carbon emissions in urban areas.

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Tesla Supercharger Network Sees Strong Growth in Q1 2025 With 2,200 New Stalls

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Tesla Supercharger network continues to expand, despite issues with the NJ Turnpike that will force several Supercharger sites to shut down, and even Tesla laying off a huge portion of the Supercharger team in 2024.

Tesla recently shared statistics on its Supercharger expansion in the first quarter of 2025. The numbers highlight the work that Tesla’s teams are doing to expand the network and keep up with the growing demand from Tesla and non-Tesla vehicles.

Q1 2025 By the Numbers

Here’s how the Tesla Supercharger network performed in the first quarter of 2025.

Tesla brought online approximately 2,200 new Supercharger stalls worldwide, representing a 17% year-over-year growth for the quarter. That’s impressive growth, especially since Tesla is simultaneously working to transition older V2 stalls to V4 stalls.

Overall, Tesla delivered 1.4 TWh (that’s terawatt-hours) of energy to vehicles, representing a 26% year-over-year growth. More people than ever are using the Supercharger network - and with 42 million charging sessions in Q1 2025 (27% annual growth), Tesla is the de-facto standard for EV charging — even if the NJ Turnpike authorities don’t want to believe it.

That 1.4 TWh accounts for approximately 173 million gallons (657 liters) of gasoline being saved, which offsets 1.5B kilograms of CO₂. While that may pale in comparison to the billions of metric tons of CO2 emitted by passenger vehicles every year in the US, it is still a significant amount of carbon being offset.

More Changes Coming

With such a strong start to the year, we can expect Tesla to continue posting impressive numbers throughout Q2 and likely throughout the remainder of 2025. Tesla’s pace of opening over 2,000 stalls (equivalent to 250 8-stall sites) per quarter seems to be well established, which means more density, faster charging, and more range for more parts of the world.

Looking into upcoming Supercharger improvements, Tesla intends to launch 500kW Supercharging for the Cybertruck by Q3 2025, alongside the first deployments of the V4 Supercharger cabinets. Tesla has also recently announced an upcoming change to Supercharger pricing and that Virtual Queues are coming, which won’t force you to wait in line at congested Superchargers.

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Tesla Adds Third-Party Charge Cable Release Shortcut in Update 2025.20 [VIDEO]

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Tesla’s charging cables include a button on the handle that lets you easily stop charging and unlock the connector—but most third-party chargers don’t. If you’re using a non-Tesla charger, stopping a charge and releasing the cable or adapter typically means opening the Tesla app or using the in-car controls.

Now, Tesla is making that process a bit easier for Model 3 and Model Y owners.

How to Quickly Release Adapter or Charging Cable

As of update 2025.20, Tesla is introducing a shortcut that will stop the charging session and unlock the charging cable or adapter that is locked in place with a pin while the vehicle is charging.

By simply pulling and holding the rear left door handle, located next to the charge port on the Model 3 or Model Y, for three seconds will now cause the vehicle to stop charging.

Since Tesla locks the charging cable or adapter in place while the vehicle is charging or the vehicle is locked, this new feature can only be used if the vehicle is unlocked or if a key, such as your phone, is nearby.

The primary benefit of this method is for those using charging cables that don’t have an unlatch button or for owners using adapters, like the J1772 or CCS to NACS adapters, which may not unlatch if you press the button on the cable.

This is a nice little feature that'll go unnoticed by the vast majority of owners, but it’ll greatly benefit a few individuals who may not need to reach into their pocket or car to unlatch a third-party cable every day.

Feature in Action

Unlatching Charging Cable in 2025.20 pic.twitter.com/MBxTodOXOz

— Max Bracco (@max_bracco) June 5, 2025

This feature is included in Tesla’s latest software update, 2025.20, which just started rolling out to customers in certain regions. The update isn’t as big as we were hoping for, likely due to Tesla’s engineers being focused on Robotaxi-specific features.

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