Model X as UberX!

[BizJet]

Just for sport this weekend, I resurrected my old Uber driver account and took to the road as an Uber driver around Boston in my Model X. The looks I got when I pulled up to the curb and opened the falcon wing doors were priceless! Nobody had seen anything quite like it.

Just about everybody wanted to talk about the car (except for the Chinese tourists who didn't speak a whole lot of English), and had many, many questions about EV's in general, batteries, range, AutoSteer, adaptive cruise control, the touchscreen, etc. About half the passengers took advantage of the easy BlueTooth connection to play their own music (which I really enjoyed, too -- sometimes I get into a musical rut).

The only awkward thing was that people had trouble figuring out how to "load in" if there were more than 2 passengers. The user interface for the 2nd row seats is not intuitive, and most of the time I felt like I needed to get out and assist them getting in. Also, I noticed a tendency for them to be too close to the FWD when it opens, which can impair the opening process. On the other hand, passengers were more willing than usual to sit in the front seat, and universally marveled at the panoramic windshield.

It's not something I will make a habit of, but I felt that my day as an Uber driver in an MX was a great opportunity to educate and excite the public about BEV's in general and Tesla cars in particular -- an opportunity I was happy to take.

And the ratings? 5 stars for every single trip...and, from most of them, "This was the best Uber ride EV-AH!"

 

[Xenius]

I've thought about doing this for shits and giggles once I have my 60D. But near Philly the crowd could be questionable at times.

 

[cbotnyse]

I can't wait to start Uber in my Model 3.

 

[Benjamins]

You sir are awesome. I'd love to see reaction vids when you pulled up to pick them up.

 

[Trips]

Why do Boston Uber riders get all the fun? Paul English, who founded Kayak gave 100 rides in his Model S last year. There is a story out there about it.

I plan on taking my M3 out driving Uber/Lyft a time or two but just for fun. It would would not be profitable unless you had a base $35k version.

 

[Dalia]

I actually drive our Model S here in Chicago for Uber. And just today my husband went in to register our X just for special cases. We live downtown and sometimes it's just fun to drive Uber. Anyway, they wouldn't accept the Model X because of the falcon wing doors. Too bad

 

[BizJet]

they wouldn't accept the Model X because of the falcon wing doors.

Interesting. That didn't seem to be a problem for the Boston team. I agree with your statement that it's sometimes just fun to drive Uber. The entertainment factor is way better than staying home and watching TV!

 

[Sasmania]

Great story with the X. I did Uber a year ago for a while in my S and just re-activated it myself. Yes, the reactions are amazing, I can only imagine them being 10X in a X!

It is fun...in small doses. It really can be a grind if the goal is to make $.

I would say it's not a realistic way to make $ with an expensive car (unless you do UberBlack) BUT if you enjoy it or get another side benefit out of it like networking, helping yourself learn a new city, or just spreading the Tesla love, then it's worth giving it a try.

I'm going to try a fun Uber/Tesla experiment in the next few weeks. Turn on Uber at my house in Scottsdale and "race" to Flagstaff through Prescott & Sedona which would normally be a 4 hour drive (not counting charging) through Phoenix and the 3 mountain towns that offer Uber. The catch? I have to pick up every ride that I get called on, some taking me in the opposite direction I'm trying to go. Will I make it in one day? How much $ will I make? Will I even get out of Phoenix? Yes, it's a crazy, perhaps stupid way to spend a day but I like doing random experiments! Should be good for a few stories if nothing else.

 

[Gwgan]

Sasmania gave me an Uber ride to a Tesla store once and while I already had my heart set on a Tesla it was a real treat to be in one and dialed up my enthusiasm. Steve, I am loving my X, btw. Thank you.
Uber “events” like this or say a bunch of owners in the same city playing Uber drivers for one day could be a fun community awareness experience. A bit like a TeslaRoadTrip but distributed, connected by social media.

 

[Dalia]

@BizJet that's exactly what we said (my husband and I both do it). We'd rather be driving the Model S than staying home and watching TV. Anyway, an update. My husband just got a text from the guy at Uber saying he made a mistake and go the wrong info and we can come in and register the car. We'll see..

 

[SureValla]

amazing idea to spread the word about EVs, this is definitely something I'll look into when I get my M3

 

[Jurnimon]

Just for sport this weekend, I resurrected my old Uber driver account and took to the road as an Uber driver around Boston in my Model X. The looks I got when I pulled up to the curb and opened the falcon wing doors were priceless! Nobody had seen anything quite like it.

Just about everybody wanted to talk about the car (except for the Chinese tourists who didn't speak a whole lot of English), and had many, many questions about EV's in general, batteries, range, AutoSteer, adaptive cruise control, the touchscreen, etc. About half the passengers took advantage of the easy BlueTooth connection to play their own music (which I really enjoyed, too -- sometimes I get into a musical rut).

The only awkward thing was that people had trouble figuring out how to "load in" if there were more than 2 passengers. The user interface for the 2nd row seats is not intuitive, and most of the time I felt like I needed to get out and assist them getting in. Also, I noticed a tendency for them to be too close to the FWD when it opens, which can impair the opening process. On the other hand, passengers were more willing than usual to sit in the front seat, and universally marveled at the panoramic windshield.

It's not something I will make a habit of, but I felt that my day as an Uber driver in an MX was a great opportunity to educate and excite the public about BEV's in general and Tesla cars in particular -- an opportunity I was happy to take.

And the ratings? 5 stars for every single trip...and, from most of them, "This was the best Uber ride EV-AH!"

I need an Uber at Logan in a few hours. Are you around?

 

[BizJet]

I need an Uber at Logan in a few hours. Are you around?

Hah! If I were allowed to pick up at Logan, I'd be there. In a bone thrown to the limo operators, MassPort prohibits pickups by UberX at Logan Airport -- only Uber Black, which requires a Massachusetts livery license.

 

[Jurnimon]

Yeah. I remember they are enforcing the rules. That is a bummer. I went home in a boring ICE

 

[mhan00]

I started driving UberX in my Leaf a couple weeks back and have gotten similar questions about electric cars when people realized that's what I was driving. A few people marveled that I was able to drive for Uber with my short range Leaf and I've done my best to educate them on electric vehicles in general and on the many charging options available in LA.

Obviously the responses to my car are nowhere close to yours, but I've enjoyed it thus far. A couple notes for anyone thinking of doing Uber though:
1) make absolute certain that your insurance company won't cancel your policy if they figure out you're doing Uber. In CA, there are many insurance companies with ride share insurance.

2) if you are thinking of doing it full time, don't. I drove a couple of passengers for the base rate, and it is pathetically small. 90 cents per mile and I think 15 for each minute. I did a short drive and then a trip to the airport for my first two rides that took about an hour with traffic and ended up making 13 bucks gross. I've been mostly waiting for surges now, and have had much better rates during those times, averaging about 30 an hour, but surges are short and hard to predict and even when there is one in your area, there's no guarantee you'll get a rider.

3) protect your car by scotchguarding, or if you have leather, maybe some dear covers to deflect vomit (if you do drunk runs) or scuffs on your leather. Most pax are fine, but there will be the occasional one who shows no respect for your car.

4)have fun with it. Some pax don't want to chat, but most are open to it. If you have a car like a Model S or X you have a built in topic to discuss.

Doing Uber as a side thing to make a little extra money is fine. As a full time job it must be a nightmare. You can likely do Select with a Tesla with better rates but fewer customers, so your mileage may vary.