Toyota has given hundreds of Uber drivers the opportunity to experience its expanding electric vehicle line-up at a special event held at the Brands Hatch race circuit in Kent. The initiative, hosted by One Toyota Fleet Services, is part of a growing partnership with Uber aimed at accelerating the adoption of zero-emission vehicles in the UK ride-hailing sector.

The event showcased more than 80 battery electric vehicles, including the Toyota bZ4X SUV and the new Proace Verso and Proace City Verso people carriers. Lexus also featured prominently, with models such as the UX 300e and RZ 300e luxury electric SUVs available for test drives.

Alastair Rutt, senior manager at 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.”

The event also included a prize draw, with Nuruzzaman Chowdhury from Poplar, East London, winning a brand new Toyota bZ4X. Chowdhury, who had never driven an EV before, 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 new vehicle from Hills of Woodford, his local Toyota centre, and plans to use it in his work as a ride-hailing driver.