Toyota gives Uber drivers electric vehicle test drive

Toyota gave hundreds of Uber drivers the chance to experience its electric model range at the Brands Hatch race circuit in Kent.

The event, hosted by One Toyota Fleet Services, aims to build on the strengthened relationship with the ride hailing business that has seen almost 2,000 drivers move to a Toyota or Lexus electric vehicle (EV) through the Uber Driver Scheme in the past six months. 

The initiative supports Uber’s actions towards becoming a zero-emission mobility platform in the UK by 2030.

More than 80 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) were available to test, including the Toyota bZ4X SUV and new Proace Verso and Proace City Verso people carriers.

The premium Lexus brand was also represented, by the compact UX 300e and mid-size RZ 300e luxury electric SUVs.

Alastair Rutt, senior manager One Toyota Business Team, said: “Our electric vehicle initiative with Uber has already been an outstanding success, with more than 100,000 visits to our dedicated microsite and thousands of drivers going ahead with a new vehicle purchase. 

“With our Brands Hatch driving event, we were able to give our guests a real-world introduction to the strengths of our model range for a business where reliable performance and long-lasting quality are key.”

Among more than 300 people who attended, Nuruzzaman Chowdhury, from Poplar, East London, was the lucky winner of a new Toyota bZ4X in a prize draw held on the day.

He said: “I’d never driven an EV before, so I went along to the event to find out what it was all about and enjoy the chance to drive on a race track, which was another first for me. 

“It was great to win the car, I’ve never won anything before, not even a packet of sweets, so it made the event all the more special. I’ll certainly be using the Toyota for my business.”

Chowdhury collected his prize car from his local Toyota centre, Hills of Woodford.

Visitors to Company Car in Action (CCIA) will have the opportunity of test driving the latest models from Toyota.

CCIA 2025 will take place on June 11 and 12 at UTAC Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire.