Uber Technologies Inc. just announced that it is taking on air pollution with its first fully electric vehicles available in London, U.K., a similar initiative to Uber’s electric car programs in Chicago and Lisbon/Porto in Portugal.

Another Uber electric car project just finished in South Africa. Uber will partner with manufacturers BYD and Nissan (BYD E6s and Nissan Leafs).

The cars will number just 50 in the beginning – a paltry few to lessen pollution – but if after a three-month feasibility study taken by the U.K. energy efficiency group, Energy Saving Trust, delivers a thumbs up Uber says it will have “hundreds” of cars running on the app come 2017.

Andrew Benfield, Group Director of Transport at the Energy Saving Trust, said in a statement, “We hope that this trial represents an important step in Uber’s contribution towards the wider efforts to improve air quality in the capital. The benefits of which will be felt by all.”

Jo Bertram, head of Uber U.K., said that Uber is determined to lessen air pollution in London, where already 60 percent of all miles traveled in Uber’s cars are in hybrid vehicles. Uber states on its blog that “Londoners using uberPOOL have now saved more than 98,000 liters of petrol and 231 metric tons of CO2 by opting to share their journey over 2 million times.”

The aforementioned three-month study will look at things such as the feasibility of charging a large number of cars in the city, but also the economics concerning the drivers themselves. Bertram in an interview said he doesn’t see this as plain sailing, which is the reason for the meager roll-out and the study.

Uber vs London

This comes at a difficult time for Uber in London, seeing that the company is presently suing the city, or the regulator Transport for London, over new regulations that will require Uber drivers, as well as other private hire drivers, to take written English tests.

In a statement, Uber London General Manager Tom Elvidge said that this was the “last resort” and that only spoken English should be required to be a private hire driver. “We’re particularly disappointed that, after a lengthy consultation process with Transport for London, the goalposts have moved at the last minute and new rules are now being introduced that will be bad for both drivers and tech companies like Uber,” said Elvidge.

More regulations came in the package from Transport of London, including: Uber having a 24/7 call center in the city, all drivers requiring a commercial license – including part-time drivers – and the company having to notify the city if any changes are made to its app.

Photo credit: David Holt via Flickr