Why are Uber/Lyft drivers still driving ANY ICE vehicles?!?

[TSLA Pilot]

Indeed says average Uber driver makes $19.62/hr. Factor in tax, depreciation, fuel, and maintenance, it's likely going to be close to $15/hr. I don't think anyone making that would get a $35k car. It would be challenging just to cover living expense with that income.


Uber Driver Salaries in California

This thread is not making sense again.

How much they make isn't relevant to this issue, except inversely--the less they make, the stronger the logic would dictate that they should a Tesla Model 3.

Given the caveats (i.e. a garage with electricity), and as stated in the original post, it is CHEAPER to drive a Tesla; it is MORE EXPENSIVE to drive an ICE vehicle.

 

[Az_Rael]

As for the rest, there's the ESA for peace of mind (and I'm assuming it'll apply to the Model 3 and Y as well?)

So far no ESA option for the 3 more than 2 years in. It took ~1.5 years to release the ESA for the X, and that seemed like an overly long time. I am beginning to wonder if they plan to offer an ESA for the 3 at all.

 

[TSLA Pilot]

So far no ESA option for the 3 more than 2 years in. It took ~1.5 years to release the ESA for the X, and that seemed like an overly long time. I am beginning to wonder if they plan to offer an ESA for the 3 at all.

This could be a factor for those drivers that aren't "flippers" (trading in as they approach 100k miles). Too many opportunities for expensive repairs that aren't a motor or battery issue, and there's but one place to fix the car: Tesla Service Center.

And you're right: Tesla sends a subtle yet powerful message by not allowing the Model 3 into the ESA program . . . . Let's hope it's an oversight!

 

[aronth5]

This thread is not making sense again.

How much they make isn't relevant to this issue, except inversely--the less they make, the stronger the logic would dictate that they should a Tesla Model 3.

Given the caveats (i.e. a garage with electricity), and as stated in the original post, it is CHEAPER to drive a Tesla; it is MORE EXPENSIVE to drive an ICE vehicle.

Just because it is cheaper to drive a Tesla doesn't mean someone can afford to buy a new car. While there are situations where your argument makes sense there are other times when priorities dictate otherwise which I believe is a point your over looking.

 

[Fossil Fool]

Slightly off the OP's original question...I spent a month in China earlier this year and was amazed to see the number of cabbies driving Teslas. I wonder if they get government subsidies or other perks? Somehow the economics must work for them.

 

[TSLA Pilot]

Just because it is cheaper to drive a Tesla doesn't mean someone can afford to buy a new car. While there are situations where your argument makes sense there are other times when priorities dictate otherwise which I believe is a point your over looking.

YES, there is a wide world of drivers for these services.

I am focused on those that buy a new vehicle every year or two as they rack up 60k to 80k+ miles every year, have a garage, have electricity and have at least a 6- to 8-hour window when the car is not being used.

Those are the drivers for whom logic, economics, and societal pressure to leave a usable planet for others, would all strongly drive selection of a Tesla Model 3 or Model S/X.

Any Tesla would be a far better choice than an ICE vehicle.

 

[PhantomX]

YES, there is a wide world of drivers for these services.

I am focused on those that buy a new vehicle every year or two as they rack up 60k to 80k+ miles every year, have a garage, have electricity and have at least a 6- to 8-hour window when the car is not being used.

Those are the drivers for whom logic, economics, and societal pressure to leave a usable planet for others, would all strongly drive selection of a Tesla Model 3 or Model S/X.

Any Tesla would be a far better choice than an ICE vehicle.

Based on my personal experience with Model 3, i3, and ICE cars, I would not get an EV if I am to drive a ride sharing service here in CA. And I have solar with charging in the garage.

 

[cwerdna]

Lastly, you need to take into account of refueling/recharging when driving these services, and at least here in So. Cal., supercharging fee is quite expensive. Based on my recent calculation, it's about the same as running a Prius. Charging at home is only cheap at night, and it takes a long time to charge enough range to have a viable ride share service. That could easily be 4 to 7 hours of time not used to earn money if you are charging during the day time.

Also, the policy at Supercharging is still in effect.

As a commercial driver or operator, can I utilize the public Supercharger network?
With the introduction of our Supercharger Fair Use Policy, commercial vehicles may not use the public Supercharger network. If you are an interested commercial operator, please reach out to us so we can help recommend charging solutions that meet your business’ needs. Keeping the Supercharger network available for non- commercial users will have a lasting positive impact on the Supercharger network and Tesla customers as a whole.

From Supercharging

Supercharger Fair Use

To help ensure that Superchargers are available for their intended use, we ask that you not charge your vehicle using a Supercharger if your vehicle is being used:

• as a taxi;
• for ridesourcing or ridesharing (through Uber, Lyft or similar services);
• to commercially deliver or transport goods;
• for government purposes; or
• for any other commercial venture.

If you charge your vehicle in a manner that does not comply with this Supercharger Fair Use Policy, we may ask you to modify this behavior. We may also take additional action to protect the availability of Superchargers for their intended purpose, such as limiting or blocking your vehicle’s ability to use Supercharger stations.

This Policy applies to all Superchargers worldwide and all Tesla vehicles purchased, either new or used, whether from Tesla or a third party, after December 15, 2017. Tesla may choose to exclude certain Supercharger stations or occasional trips from the scope of this Policy, such as to accommodate specific local circumstances.

 

[BOBTHEJOCKEY]

I was just pondering if some of the posts here were FUD related, attempting to head off a potential wave of Uber drivers buying more Teslas. Just a thought.


Oh man, I was commenting on someone else's slam of you above.

I'm outta here... look up the word patronize then read your post.

I just typed in SLEEPING TESLA DRIVER on you tube and WOW! There is an explosion of NEW posts. Even more reason that Tesla autopilot is now SAFER and getting SAFER every day. There are no new Tesla car crashes also. All these people are not stupid because it's NOT DANGEROUS any more.

 

[replicant]

Based on my personal experience with Model 3, i3, and ICE cars, I would not get an EV if I am to drive a ride sharing service here in CA. And I have solar with charging in the garage.

Why?

 

[tomas]

Large part of taxi fleet everywhere I visit has moved to Prius over last 10 years.

Hybrid or long range BEV makes sense for full time Uber drivers, and they would make much more money. Maybe Uber should help them finance? Provide fast charging stations around cities? That would attract drivers and be win win win.

Let’s make this positive vs “they’re idiots”.

Yet from my experience, majority of Uber drivers are part time gig economy with 1 or 2 other jobs. Their only option is to use what they have.

 

[The Accountant]

I know this is only one data point: A couple of months ago I was in Chicago and my Uber driver picked me up in a Model S.
He purchased the Model S specifically to improve his income (he is a full time Uber/Lyft driver). Here is what he told me:
- Purchased the car used
- Looked for a Black/Black Model S because you're eligible for black car service
- Gets free Supercharger benefits and only re-charges at the Supercharger network
- In the 60,000 miles that he has driven this car, he has had no fuel or maintenance costs except for changing the tires (which already had some wear when he purchased the used car).
He paid cash for the car, so every payment he gets from Uber/Lyft goes into his pocket except for the money spent on the new set of tires.
He told me when the time comes for a new car, he would get another Tesla as long as he could get the free supercharger benefit.

 

[PhantomX]

Why?

Range and opportunity cost. I can get a PHEV 400+ miles ranges and allow me to be on the road almost all day. If refueling is needed, it will only take 10 minutes at most. The more time the car spend on the road, the more opportunities to earn money.

And based on my experience, Tesla is by far the most expensive car to insure, and also takes longest when need to go in for service. Both cost money and opportunity to earn money.

 

[PhantomX]

I know this is only one data point: A couple of months ago I was in Chicago and my Uber driver picked me up in a Model S.
He purchased the Model S specifically to improve his income (he is a full time Uber/Lyft driver). Here is what he told me:
- Purchased the car used
- Looked for a Black/Black Model S because you're eligible for black car service
- Gets free Supercharger benefits and only re-charges at the Supercharger network
- In the 60,000 miles that he has driven this car, he has had no fuel or maintenance costs except for changing the tires (which already had some wear when he purchased the used car).
He paid cash for the car, so every payment he gets from Uber/Lyft goes into his pocket except for the money spent on the new set of tires.
He told me when the time comes for a new car, he would get another Tesla as long as he could get the free supercharger benefit.

I thought free supercharging is not available any more? And that Tesla forbid usage of supercharger for commercial purpose? Not sure how they enforce the latter though. I agree if one can get a cheap used Tesla with free supercharging, then it makes a lot of sense to use it for ride sharing.

 

[TSLA Pilot]

Just because it is cheaper to drive a Tesla doesn't mean someone can afford to buy a new car. While there are situations where your argument makes sense there are other times when priorities dictate otherwise which I believe is a point your over looking.

My bad; while this was made clear later, I should have been more clear in my original post.

These drivers are ALREADY buying a new vehicle every year or two--the issue is: Why do they persist in buying ICE vehicles when the Tesla Advantage is so overwhelming?

 

[ewoodrick]

You won't make too much money if you only limit yourself to a 200 miles trip a day. Likely not enough to cover car payment and insurance.

That so depends on where you are driving. In NYC, 100 miles is hard to do. I think most folks are under 150 per day.

 

[TSLA Pilot]

Based on my personal experience with Model 3, i3, and ICE cars, I would not get an EV if I am to drive a ride sharing service here in CA. And I have solar with charging in the garage.

Interesting comments.

I had to review your previous posts for a the full "because . . . " picture, but here's what I gathered, based on this and your subsequent posts:

Not sure how the person come up with the maintenance and insurance numbers, but my experience is a Tesla (whether my Model 3 or the Model X before) is always the most expensive car to insure in our family. That's compared to the Porsche Cayman, BMW M3, Lexus RX, Toyota Prius, and others we have owned before. Also, Toyota is cheap to maintain. Even if you do the maintenance at dealer, you are looking at most $1000 for oil changes in 5 years and may be a few hundred more for some of the other services. If you go outside, you can service a Camry without issue for way cheaper.

Also, the study takes into account the residual, which is not important for the upfront cost of buying the car. For many people driving Uber and other ride service, you need low cost up front to start the business.

Lastly, you need to take into account of refueling/recharging when driving these services, and at least here in So. Cal., supercharging fee is quite expensive. Based on my recent calculation, it's about the same as running a Prius. Charging at home is only cheap at night, and it takes a long time to charge enough range to have a viable ride share service. That could easily be 4 to 7 hours of time not used to earn money if you are charging during the day time.


*****************

Questions/Confusion:

1. Do you have a Tesla charger, a NEMA 14-50 outlet, or are you charging at 110-volts at home?

2. Even on regular NEMA 14-50 outlet, if you're home for 8 hours a day, how does that not charge up a Model 3 MR to full?

3. Would a Model 3 LR, or uncrowded Superchargers, have solved most of these issues?

4. Have you looked into Tesla Insurance and how does it compare to others?

5. Obviously, there is no cost to dump unlimited amounts of GHG's (for now). That skews the calculations and dumps the externalities on others. Do Uber or Lyft give drivers any incentives for driving EV's that dump nothing?

Thanks!

 

[TSLA Pilot]

Thanks for the informative replies on this page--very interesting to see the full picture of how, at least in CA, some might shun a Tesla.

Also, after building many more Supercharger locations, I think Tesla should strongly encourage Supercharger use among those in the Model 3--they are paying for it after all.

If someone is using a Model 3 for Lyft or Uber, almost by definition they're racking up a LOT of miles. Isn't that the best use case for an EV, preventing that much more GHG dumping?!?

Tesla's mission is to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy.

www.tesla.com/about

 

[PhantomX]

That so depends on where you are driving. In NYC, 100 miles is hard to do. I think most folks are under 150 per day.

True. I am speaking strictly from So. Cal. I know many people who's daily commute is near 100 miles. Everything is so spread out here, we can put in 100 miles per day on weekends just driving within the nearby cities to take care errands.

 

[PhantomX]

Questions/Confusion:
1. Do you have a Tesla charger, a NEMA 14-50 outlet, or are you charging at 110-volts at home?

Yes, 2 14-50 outlets actually (used to have 2 EV's)

2. Even on regular NEMA 14-50 outlet, if you're home for 8 hours a day, how does that not charge up a Model 3 MR to full?

I do charge when I am sleeping at night. But if a ride share service require more than 200 miles a day, home charging is way too slow.

3. Would a Model 3 LR, or uncrowded Superchargers, have solved most of these issues?

Supercharger, yes. LR, not really

4. Have you looked into Tesla Insurance and how does it compare to others?

I have not looked at Tesla insurance, but my experience with Tesla service from previous experience tells me to shy away from anything that require human interactions at Tesla. I can tell you that AAA quoted us $3K/year at one time for a Model X, which is more expensive than our 3 others combined at that time (BMW M3, i3, and Toyota Sienna). That's with all discount myself and my wife have and clean driving record. For Model 3, AAA was again very expensive, so we switch to Costco Ameriprise. Even then, it would have been cheaper to insure a more expensive luxury car.[/QUOTE]