Oct 8 (Reuters) - Uber Technologies 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 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 said. The company will also expand the chatbot's use to answer queries beyond EVs in early 2025.

About 180,000 Uber drivers monthly are moving to EVs in North America and Europe.

"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 are now electric," CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said.

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 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.

(Reporting by Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai)

((ArsheeyaSingh.Bajwa@thomsonreuters.com; +91 8510015800;))