As a PCO driver, every pound you save matters. You have to deal with rising fuel costs, weekly hire fees, and daily ULEZ and Congestion charges. These costs can take a huge chunk out of your profits. This is why you should find every possible way to reduce your expenses and increase profits.
When it comes to saving money, the car you drive plays an important role because most of the costs we mentioned above can be avoided with the right car. So, if you are a PCO driver and want to know what’s cheaper between electric and petrol PCO car hire, we have provided all the necessary information in this article. Read it and choose wisely.
Fuel vs Charging: The Daily Running Costs
Your vehicle needs fuel or charging to keep running. Knowing how much it costs can help you make the right decision.
The average petrol car costs around £0.14 to £0.18 per mile in fuel. Let’s suppose you drive a Prius or Corolla 100 miles a day. That would mean you are spending £14 to £18 only on petrol. Do that every day for a month, and that’s £420 to £540 out of your pocket.
On the other hand, electric cars only cost about £0.04 to £0.06 per mile when charged at home or cheap public chargers, resulting in a monthly cost of just £120 to £180. This means drivers who use EVs can save from £300 to £400 a month just on fuel.
So, when it comes to the daily running costs, EVs are the clear winner.
ULEZ and Congestion Charges
ULEZ and Congestion charges are a daily expense if you drive a non-electric car. The ULEZ charge is £12.50 per day, while the Congestion charge is £15 per day. That means petrol and other non-electric vehicles have to pay £27.50 every day they enter Central London and the Ultra Low Emission Zone. That’s a monthly expense of £825 if you drive there daily.
The only way to avoid these charges is to drive a fully electric vehicle. No hybrids or PHEVs. Only EVs because EVs are 100% exempt from these charges. So, that’s another massive advantage that petrol cars don’t have.
Weekly Hire Costs
Petrol cars have low weekly hire costs, usually between £180-£220. On the other hand, EV hire costs between £240-£350 per week. Although both types of cars come with insurance coverage for auto body repairs, suddenly you may start thinking that you can save around £50-£80 per week with a petrol car. However, you are not looking at the bigger picture.
A petrol car would add the ULEZ, Congestion, and high fuel charges, which can be over £1,000 per month combined. So, would you rather pay a few extra pounds per week for an EV and save over £1,000 per month or get a petrol car for a cheaper weekly fee and pay unwanted expenses that could have been easily avoided? The choice is yours.
Discounted or Free Charging
Many PCO car hire companies and ride-hailing operators like Uber and Bolt offer discounted or free charging through their partner public chargers. If you are lucky enough to find such a deal, your charging costs will be even lower than what we mentioned earlier in this article.
Think about it, while petrol drivers are stuck paying full price at the pump, you could be getting loyalty discounts or even charging credits in your weekly package to plug in for free at partner locations. Even if your hire package doesn’t offer discounted charging, many supermarkets, retailers, and car dealerships offer free charging for EVs. Look around and take advantage of them.
Priority Access on Ride-Hailing Apps
With environmental regulations becoming stricter, ride-hailing companies like Uber and Bolt are giving priority to EV drivers. Here’s what it means:
Imagine two PCO drivers, one with a petrol car and one with an EV. Both are online at 7 PM in the same zone. The EV driver gets back-to-back rides while the petrol driver barely receives a notification.
Why so?
Because when you add an EV to your Uber or Bolt profile, the algorithm automatically takes you ahead in the queue. This results in less wait time, more ride requests, and improved income.
Longer Driving Range with New EVs
The range used to be an issue for older EV models due to which many PCO drivers had started preferring petrol cars. Their argument was that when the battery dies out mid-shift, recharging their EVs could take over an hour. Even the rapid chargers normally take from 30-40 minutes to power an EV up to 80%, which could result in missed rides.
Many modern EVs offer a range of 200-300 miles per charge. Some models can even touch 400 miles on a single charge. This is more than enough to complete a full day’s shift without requiring a recharge. Just make sure your vehicle is fully charged before starting the shift to avoid any interruptions.
Reduced Idle Costs
PCO driving isn’t about carrying passengers from one point to another all the time. The workflow keeps fluctuating.
Sometimes, you get ride requests nonstop, while other times, the demand for drivers could drop, causing you to sit idle.
The problem with petrol engines is that they use fuel even when the car isn’t moving – roughly 0.6 to 1 litre per hour depending on the engine and whether you’re running the AC. That’s a significant expense for PCO drivers spending 8-10 hours on the road daily.
On the other hand, EVs burn virtually no power unless you are running energy-draining features like AC, charging devices, or headlights at night. Even then, the power draw is minimal compared to petrol engines. That’s another layer of savings that petrol cars don’t offer.
Conclusion
Overall, EV PCO hire is much more cost-effective than hiring a petrol car. Just make sure you pick a model that aligns with your driving goals. For instance, if you plan to drive for Uber X which offers basic fares, choose a standard model like KIA eNiro or MG 5. However, if you plan to target high-paying customers, then a premium model like Mercedes EQE will be more suitable for you. Choose wisely.
