The Tesla trend also comes at a time when Uber and Lyft Inc are on the hook to show progress toward achieving their goal of switching entirely to EVs in Europe and North America by 2030. — AFP
Barnes opted to rent a standard Tesla Model 3 for a month through Hertz, which has a deal with Uber Technologies Inc offering drivers a weekly rate of US$344 that includes insurance, basic maintenance, and unlimited miles. Even after accounting for the cost to charge the car, Barnes was paying roughly US$450 a week for"the car of her dreams,” less than the nearly US$600 required to fuel her Camry. In her first week, Barnes’ earnings covered the cost of the rental for the month.
For drivers who have seen their take-home pay whittled down, the switch isn’t just skimming a few dollars from expenses, it’s a lucrative earnings opportunity. According to Gridwise, an app that helps gig workers manage their trips, the number of ride-share and delivery drivers who opted to hop behind the wheel of a Tesla jumped 186% in May compared with last June.
But reaching those EV goals in the US in less than a decade won’t be easy. In 2021, fewer than 1% of ride-hailing vehicles in the country were electric, according to clean-energy research firm BloombergNEF. Uber is doing better in Europe, where government incentives also help spur the switch to EVs. But for other drivers like Luis Martinez, 34, taking out a hefty loan is a risk worth taking instead of waiting for gas prices to come down. Like Barnes, Martinez first started looking to replace his 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid with an electric car at the beginning of March when gas prices spiked. He had his eyes set on a new Hyundai Ioniq 5, which, listed at roughly US$47,000 , was in his price range.