Oct 8 (Reuters) - Uber Technologies ( UBER ) will roll

out an AI assistant powered by OpenAI's technology to help

drivers transition to electric vehicles, as part of its efforts

to lower emissions.

The ride-hailing company has advocated a shift to EVs for

several years and has pledged $800 million to support its driver

partners' switching entirely to EVs by 2040.

The AI assistant, based on OpenAI's GPT-4o, was unveiled at

Uber's ( UBER ) Go-Get Zero event in London on Tuesday. The chatbot is

set to launch early next year in the United States and will

later expand to other locations.

It will provide personalized answers tailored to the

driver's city and eligible incentives, Uber ( UBER ) said. The company

will also expand the chatbot's use to answer queries beyond EVs

in early 2025.

About 180,000 Uber ( UBER ) drivers monthly are moving to EVs in

North America and Europe.

"Uber ( UBER ) drivers are adopting EVs five times faster than the

average motorist in the U.S., Canada and Europe. In London,

nearly 30% of all miles driven on Uber ( UBER ) are now electric," CEO

Dara Khosrowshahi said.

Uber ( UBER ) is also launching a mentorship program to connect

experienced EV drivers with drivers looking to switch to

electric vehicles.

Additionally, it is awarding top merchants on its food

delivery platform with $50,000 to help fund their own

sustainability initiatives and reach more customers.

Uber ( UBER ) is also kicking off a series of pop-ups for customers

to try out EVs. Users in London can try out the Lotus

Eletre, while those in Los Angeles, Miami and Dallas will be

able to reserve a ride in a Rivian R1.