Uber Will Pay Drivers $4,000 To Switch To EVs (theverge.com)
- Reference: 0179851222
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/10/22/1639229/uber-will-pay-drivers-4000-to-switch-to-evs
- Source link: https://www.theverge.com/news/802983/uber-electric-ev-driver-4000-grant-price
> As it rushes to meet its pledge for "100 percent" of trips in electric vehicles by 2030, Uber is offering grants of $4,000 for drivers [1]to swap their gas-guzzlers for zero-tailpipe emission vehicles. The company is also dropping its "Uber Green" branding in favor of the more simple "Uber Electric."
>
> Uber has said it will be completely carbon neutral in North America and Europe by 2030 and in all global markets by 2040. But when it first announced this pledge in 2020, it said it wouldn't directly pay drivers to ditch their gas-burning vehicles in favor of EVs. Now, the company is reversing that decision in the hopes that direct payments can help accelerate EV adoption.
[1] https://www.theverge.com/news/802983/uber-electric-ev-driver-4000-grant-price
How about a loan? (Score:2)
Give them the car for free (as a "sign-on bonus") in exchange for a cut from their pay until they pay it off. Reposess it (I guess), give it to someone else, and return their pay deductions if they leave before it's paid off.
Re: How about a loan? (Score:2)
Indentured servitude?
Re: (Score:2)
Of course you're right. What was I [1]thinking [youtu.be]?
[1] https://youtu.be/XhYt212HIlQ
Re: (Score:2)
That's a nice thought, but it will be abused and the losses will have to come from somewhere. It will either be the other drivers' pay or through higher prices to customers.
Re:How about a loan? (Score:5, Insightful)
If Uber is providing 100% of the tools for the job, it will become very difficult to continue the charade that they are not the employer.
I love EVs, but (Score:2)
Uber should not be trusted
The moment self-driving cars are ready, Uber will get rid of all human drivers
It's a short-term gig that pays increasingly poorly
Re: (Score:2)
The real problem is taxi driver is basically the bottom of our society and we are about to automate it away completely.
When that happens those people don't have anywhere else to go. Even if you want to pretend they're a magically more jobs being created, which mathematically there aren't, the people at the bottom there driving taxis aren't going to be able to get those jobs. If they could they wouldn't be driving taxis.
There is a small handful of people obsessed with working for themselves that kid
Re: (Score:2)
Assuming this isn't your usual doppelganger troll and you're just posting AC to avoid burning karma, do you realize how incredibly unhinged you sound? Your previous post is about how our society is going to come apart at the seams with roving bands of Mad Max bandits, and then you're suggesting that we all come together, sing Kumbaya, and build some sort of urban utopia - the same people you're suggesting are champing at the bit to start shooting at each other.
[1]This [x.com] is your urban utopia, complete with a far
[1] https://x.com/harryjsisson/status/1980439041578528847
Re: (Score:2)
> Uber will get rid of all human drivers
Perhaps. But Uber will have to build out its fleet of autonomous vehicles. That's a big capital investment. That they are dropping $4000 per vehicle into the existing drivers hands seems to indicate that they don't yet have a better place to invest it. Like their own equipment.
And keep in mind that the original Uber model was an app that leveraged driver-owned cars. Dump all those drivers back onto the market and some smart developers (probably Vibe coded) will build a new app for them.
Re: (Score:2)
> But Uber will have to build out its fleet of autonomous vehicles.
That's assuming Uber. Tesla is preparing the assembly lines now for the CyberCab, and they could be putting them out at thousands a week by the end of next year. There's a lot to be said for the theory that self driving cars won't be able to handle all weather and all weird roads, but from what I've seen, those are issues that may delay but not stop the self-driving takeover.
Re: (Score:2)
There's also the "I don't trust an autonomous car" factor as well.
Re: (Score:2)
> The moment self-driving cars are ready, Uber will get rid of all human drivers
And, why shouldn't they? Better for them, better for the passengers. Win-win.
I doubt you're completely correct, though. If there's a market for it, they'll just have a different tier of vehicle, driven by humans, for riders that want such a thing. "Uber-H", or something.
Re: (Score:3)
Well, if you're gonna insist on having Uber with an actual person involved branded as the superior service for the elites you've really got no choice but to call it Ubermensch now do you?
Re: (Score:2)
I've been predicting that the drivers were training the system to be run entirely on EVs for at least the past decade.
People kept telling to me to shut up.
Wish I'd made bets lol.
Re:I love EVs, but (self-driving) (Score:2)
And Uber drivers are just one group about to be eliminated by technology. The same self-driving will also eliminate tons of truck drivers, though that will probably hold off until people are more used to the idea of self-driving cars on the road. (I would give it one to three years delay.)
We're in for some interesting times.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Ha, "Tesla derangement syndrome". Is that where people realize that Musk is an awful human being and choose to spend their money with someone else?
Fortunately no one needs Tesla to buy a good electric car nowadays. Musk squandered Tesla's lead going into politics, outside of selling one ugly as shit truck they aren't anything special anymore.
Given the economics, it might not help much (Score:4)
Consider the cost of a new EV, and the insurance, the end of the federal EV incentive program this year and what an Uber driver makes these days, and it may not be enough of an incentive. Certainly, Uber trips are probably an ideal case for electric vehicle use (short trips, lower speeds with stop and go regen braking) but the economics of Uber driving are probably pretty touch and go from the various reports I am reading. (I would like to hear from Uber drivers directly on this matter)
Most Uber and Lyft rides I've taken are in older, well maintained cars. They probably are owned outright or the payment is reasonable. Insuring an older internal combustion car is cheap. Yes, there is a savings in fuel with an EV IF you can charge at home most of the time and you have an EV discount with your provider or you live in an area where electricity is cheap to begin with, but often the other costs can outweigh that. Just looking at the payment and insurance for my wife's (purchased used for around $30k) Tesla, and I am not sure if there is any financial savings in the fuel costs in the end, compared to my high-MPG Mazda3 which is paid for and is cheap to insure, and has had almost no maintenance needed since new, No one who is just getting by is going to do it out of the the kindness of their heart for the environment.
You also have to consider the shelf life of the battery, and amortize the cost of the car over time. A lot of these things don't matter if it's your personal vehicle and you're getting enjoyment out of owning an EV on top of it being useful, but if you're looking at it as a business case that you depend on for your survival, it's a different matter.
Any rideshare drivers here who would like to comment? The above is speculation based on my own experience owning both types of vehicles at the same time, but not as a rideshare driver. I have more questions than answers.
I think this incentive would appeal most to someone who lives in a household with multiple incomes, where the rideshare income is supplementary to another, higher income. Then it would be an incentive for someone who can actually afford to take advantage of it. My three cents.
Re: (Score:2)
Not a rideshare driver, but I do talk to drivers when I ride. Profitability is very location dependent and tips are what makes it work. Turnover is high. People do it for reasons beyond income-- staying busy seems to be a big one. A few drivers do it before their regular work day because they get up early or don't sleep much. One realtor did it to meet potential clients. Painting the group with a single brush is hard. The majority might be in the Bad at Math Club, but just barely.
Not just new EVs... (Score:3)
> Consider the cost of a new EV...
According to the article, the offer is $4000 for a new or used EV for drivers in CA, CO, MA, or NYC. In MA there are decent used Model 3 LRs going for $22k. Additionally, MA has an EV rebate program for rideshare drivers. So: $23k-$4k-$2.5k = $15.5k. That's an attractive price, especially if you're a driver in need of replacing your ride soon. It's less than a used Kia K4 of the same age.
Re: (Score:1)
Now do the calculations with a non-swasticar.
Tesla is worst at service of all US automakers, who wants to be chained to them?
Re: (Score:1)
No one who is just getting by is going to do it out of the the kindness
of their heart for the environment.
Almost no one, in that demographic, yeah. And I think that demographic
(just getting by) is going to include the overwhelming majority of ride-share
drivers, because it doesn't pay well enough to raise someone out of that
demographic, and it's not really a highly regarded "dream" profession that
a person with other means of support would do because they think it's
important (like teaching school o
Re: (Score:2)
> Consider the cost of a new EV, and the insurance, the end of the federal EV incentive program this year and what an Uber driver makes these days, and it may not be enough of an incentive.
On this I partially agree as for new cars this is less then the incentive program which they already ignored.
But it might be worth a used EV.
> Certainly, Uber trips are probably an ideal case for electric vehicle use (short trips, lower speeds with stop and go regen braking) but the economics of Uber driving are probably pretty touch and go from the various reports I am reading. (I would like to hear from Uber drivers directly on this matter)
> Most Uber and Lyft rides I've taken are in older, well maintained cars. They probably are owned outright or the payment is reasonable.
A lot of the ones I've seen are newer leased vehicles.
If their daily mileage can be done on a single charge the fuel savings could add up pretty quick. Otherwise a hybrid is a no-brainer.
> Just looking at the payment and insurance for my wife's (purchased used for around $30k) Tesla, and I am not sure if there is any financial savings in the fuel costs in the end,
Tesla's are notoriously expensive to insure, but fuel costs would definitely be lower with at-home charging.
Public chargers? Not so much.
> I think this incentive would appeal most to someone who lives in a household with multiple incomes, where the rideshare income is supplementary to another, higher income. Then it would be an incentive for someone who can actually afford to take advantage of it. My three cents.
I'm assuming there's conditions around it. But
Re: (Score:1)
> Certainly, Uber trips are probably an ideal case for electric vehicle use (short trips, lower speeds with stop and go regen braking) but the economics of Uber driving are probably pretty touch and go from the various reports I am reading.
If you're trying to put in full days of work anywhere outside of a major metropolitan area, no, an EV won't really cut it. You'll have to stop at a DCFC station at least once per day and that's generally just as expensive as gas on a cost-per-mile basis when compared against the average economy car.
I actually ended up talking to someone once at a charging station who mentioned he was doing Uber. He looked like he was ready to pull his hair out.
Re: (Score:1)
"You'll have to stop at a DCFC station at least once per day "
No, you don't.
Urban drivers (like in NYC or SF) cover 100–140 miles because trips are short and traffic is dense.
Suburban or mixed-area drivers often push 200–250 miles just to get enough rides.
One charge at night is enough.
Re: (Score:2)
> Urban drivers (like in NYC or SF) cover 100–140 miles because trips are short and traffic is dense.
I literally wrote "outside of a major metropolitan area", so try to keep up.
> Suburban or mixed-area drivers often push 200–250 miles just to get enough rides.
> One charge at night is enough.
250 miles is about 3.5 hours of highway driving at 70 MPH. That's also ignoring that at those speeds, you're not going to get the EPA range rating out of an EV. Sure, you might get lucky and have a day where no one wants to be driven to/from BFE and every fare you pick up is right near your last one, but the reality of Uber driving in places that are more spread out (like central FL) is that you're gonna burn through some serious
mmmm (Score:2)
I doubt this has anything to do with being green, except insofar as it "looks" greener.
More likely this allows them to better gather craptons of model data for their eventually-inevitable self-driving fleet.
Big announcement (Score:2)
Quiet retraction. I doubt they will even get to 25% EVs by 2030.
Re: Big announcement (Score:2)
The drivers will benefit from lower costs with EVs and will have more money in their pocket once they get over the hurdle of buying a new/used EV
No one is "Carbon neutral" (Score:1)
> Uber has said it will be completely carbon neutral
EV's aren't really "carbon neutral". But I would bet Uber won't consider the emissions from manufacturing their contractors cars as part of their carbon footprint. Much less the carbon footprint for the electricity used to charge them. Or the carbon footprint of the streets they drive on. Or the carbon footprint of the phone connections required by its customers to use their phone to schedule a trip.
Carbon neutral is a phony concept based on the idea that someone owns the carbon emissions.
Are EVs suitable for taxis? (Score:2)
I'm a big fan of EVs (own two of them myself), but I'm not sure they would make sense for someone running a rideshare gig?
My IONIQ 5 gets about 260 miles of range according to the sticker, but if I'm gig-driving every day and want to preserve the battery I'm only charging it to 80% and recharging it when it's 20-30%, so that's about 50-60% of range before I have to fuel up somewhere. I don't know how many miles taxis typically drive in a working day... maybe in big cities where you're sitting in lots of tra
Re: (Score:2)
It has to be very location dependent. Here in central FL, I'm convinced there must be hundreds of drivers who have just found a way to get free gas/charging, because absolutely none of the work is profitable (once you factor in fuel and vehicle wear-and-tear) and all but the most crappy jobs get snatched up instantly. If all you get are the awful routes that no one else wanted because they require driving out to BFE and back, yeah, you'll burn through your battery in no time.
Clean air is good (Score:3)
I am all for clean air, but people should not kid themselves that this will save the whales, penguins or the planet.
Re: Clean air is good (Score:3, Insightful)
It is for clean air, anything else like less CO2 in the atmosphere an added benefit
Re: (Score:1, Offtopic)
You do know, it's not an instant thing, right? It'll take hundreds of years for whatever trees are left in the world to process all the CO2 and crap.
Then, of course there's that little 'demand is higher than available' power thing... solar only works when it's sunny, you can store the excess in batteries (what excess?),et cetera. And, you'd need a lot of PV panels to meet the demand, or a lot of wind turbines... maybe put the money that would go into those towards getting fusion working (Tony's ARC reacto
Re: Clean air is good (Score:2)
Yes, i do know, thank you very much. EVs are low hanging fruit in this transition. Everybody breathing clean air instead of tailpipe emissions is a result not to be sniffed at.
Re: (Score:2)
That was a great theory until we found out that air pollution can help keep the planet cool. Remember the article from June 2023 about how sulfur dioxide containing ship fuel exhaust was creating chemtrails that reflected sunlight back into space? Stuff like that. Quite stupidly, rather than rolling back the change until an alternative cooling method is ready to be implemented, we've plowed ahead instead so our planet can get warmer. Anybody working on production systems on this site knows you always have a
Re: (Score:1)
I already hate getting Teslas for my Uber drives and I do quite a bit of Ubering, so to speak. If the number of these Tesla vehicles goes up significantly and I feel like throwing up during *EVERY* Uber drive, I will no longer use this method of transportation. Teslas make me absolutely nauseous, especially when going up or down the hill.