15,000 Tesla vehicles are already in the hands of Uber drivers through Hertz deal

Fred Lambert | Jun 28 2022 - 9:58 am PT

Uber announced that 15,000 Tesla vehicles are already in the hands of its drivers in more than 30 US cities through its deal with Hertz to expand access to electric vehicles.

Last year, Hertz announced an important effort to electrify its fleet of rental cars, led by a massive purchase of 100,000 Tesla Model 3 vehicles to be delivered over the next year.

Shortly after, Hertz announced that on top of adding Tesla vehicles to its rental fleet, the company also made a deal with Uber to offer its drivers access to the Tesla vehicles. 50,000 Tesla vehicles will be offered for rent to Uber drivers, and the company has an option for more if the program is successful.

Today, Andrew Macdonald, Uber’s senior vice president of mobility and business operations, announced that already 15,000 Uber drivers have rented Tesla vehicles through the program:

To date, more than 15,000 drivers have rented a Tesla through this program – and they’re making a real impact. Together they’ve completed more than five million fully-electric trips and driven over 40 million electric miles.

The program appears to be a success with driver satisfaction being high.

Uber drivers pay only $334 a week to rent a Tesla Model 3, insurance and maintenance included, and some drivers are reporting over $160 a week in gas savings alone.

Manuel Barros, an Uber driver in Boston and one of the first to take advantage of the Tesla rental program, said:

When I had a gas car, I would spend $25-30 dollars a day [on gasoline]. I’m saving almost $160 a week, if not more, driving an electric vehicle.

On top of the gas savings compensating for the renting cost, Uber gives an extra $1 per trip to drivers of battery-electric vehicles for up to $4,000 per year, and it recently launched the “Comfort Electric” option that pays drivers more when Uber users choose an electric ride.

Uber also reports some interesting statistics, like the fact that 95% of drivers renting a Tesla through Hertz are driving electric on the Uber platform for the first time, and 92% of them say they are considering purchasing an electric vehicle since participating in the program.

Raphael Veira, who drives for Uber in Los Angeles, commented:

I was always curious as to how an electric vehicle could handle the mileage you put on your car when doing Uber. It handles the mileage really well. I want to buy a [Tesla] Model S eventually. And this was a perfect opportunity to see how they drive.

The program for Uber drivers to rent Tesla vehicles through Hertz is now available in the following cities: