# Driving LyftUber with a Chevy Bolt - 3300 rides in 16 months



## JaxUberLyft (Jan 9, 2019)

I got into LyftUber after buying a Bolt in Match 2018. I really enjoy driving the car, so I gave LyftUber a try. 3300 rides later I've pretty much covered the capital cost. One minor repair ($100) in that time. EVs require very little maintenance - no oil changes, no exhaust system, no timing belt, no pollution controls, yadda yadda.

I haven't noticed any battery capacity degradation, but those who pay more attention to that than I figure about 5% in that interval

Range - more or less as promised (238 miles) in my typical LyftUber conditions; a fair bit less on freeways. Fast chargers are becoming more available and less costly - Electrify America should come on line locally very soon.

I pretty much don't drive between 10 pm and 3 am and I avoid big events like concerts and pro ball games, so I lose out on some of the most profitable driving, but I avoid the drunk riders, drunk drivers, and associated stress.


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## doyousensehumor (Apr 13, 2015)

Do you know the cost per mile for electric?

I drive to much. Would have to charge half way through day.


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## Coastal_Cruiser (Oct 1, 2018)

I have a Bolt too, and corroborate the testimony of the OP. In my area I pay about $12.00 to add 100 miles to the car (that's about 45-50 cents per kWh added to the battery). My Bolt gets roughly 250 miles per full charge, even with U/L driving style.

Of course at home charging is vastly cheaper.

If you drive any non-Tesla EV you MUST survey the DC fast charging stations where you drive, if you drive over 200-250 miles /day. 100A fast chargers add the 100 miles in about 45 minutes. 150 amp chargers or better of course decrease charging time further.


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

Coastal_Cruiser said:


> I have a Bolt too, and corroborate the testimony of the OP. In my area I pay about $12.00 to add 100 miles to the car


Hmmm..... I get 500 miles from $48 of gas with my Camry Hybrid; less than $10 per $100 miles. And it's an old, first generation model.

I thought electric cars were supposed to be cheaper to run. If they're not, what's the point?


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## Coastal_Cruiser (Oct 1, 2018)

The Gift of Fish said:


> Hmmm..... I get 500 miles from $48 of gas with my Camry Hybrid; less than $10 per $100 miles. And it's an old, first generation model.
> 
> I thought electric cars were supposed to be cheaper to run. If they're not, what's the point?


Nice. Hybrids are hard to be beat, fuel cost-wise, _if_ you charge exclusively at public charges. Price of electricity is simply higher at these stations. If you charge mostly at home with an overnight EV charging plan from your local utility (for example PG&E in California) then the pure EV easily beats the hybrid.

There are many other cost-of-ownership factors besides fuel though. As the OP said, no oil changes or smog checks ever. You may never have to replace the brakes due to *regenerative braking*, which is simply the electric motor slowing the vehicle while at the same charging the battery whenever you remove your foot from the accelerator (A.K.A. one-pedal driving).

Parts count on an EV is a small fraction of an internal combustion engine. An EV electric motor has only TWO parts that rub against each other (the bearings at each end of the rotor). I've never heard of a Bolt motor needing a replacement, and we are three years into production. Tesla motors have been known to fail but it was a design error and Tesla replaced all the bad motors for free even if car was out of warranty. All told, repair costs down the road are far cheaper with an EV. Even the latest generation batteries are relatively trouble free. Plus the Bolt has an 8 year warranty on the battery.

Then there is the fact that you are not polluting the atmosphere.

Then there is the torque of an electric motor. If I get into trouble in traffic I just punch it. Trouble immediately disappears from the windshield, then reappears in the rearview mirror.

Then there is the cool factor. Priceless. :>


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## Ignatz (Aug 3, 2019)

_How much does it cost to charge a Chevy Bolt?_

If electricity costs $0.11 per kWh and the vehicle consumes 34 kWh to travel 100 miles, the* cost per mile is about $0.04.*
if electricity costs $0.11 per kilowatt-hour,charging an all-electric vehicle with a 70-mile range (assuming a fully depleted 24 kWh battery) will cost about* $2.64 to reach a full charge.*

https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_charging_home.html
https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1081575_one-owners-chevy-volt-running-cost-2-cents-per-mile
It has saved us at least $300 in fuel costs each month. 
https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1116900_reader-report-spending-a-year-with-two-chevy-bolt-evs


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## Soldiering (Jan 21, 2019)

I'm a doe hard prius X driver. My prius is slathered an clean. I typically put 20 to 25 dollars a day in it whilst grossing 160 to 200 for that day. My range is right about 400. In your opinion would I fare better in a tesla or other electric car?

Sorry for the auto correcting.


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## Coastal_Cruiser (Oct 1, 2018)

Not sure who you are asking, but I can take a shot at your question, as a 4th generation 2016 Prius (standard, not Prime or C) was my first Uber car when I signed up in 2016. My gas mileage was close to what you quote. I lOVED my Prius and it was a fantastic Uber car.

I'm assuming when you say "fare better" you are speaking strictly in terms of economics, and not the "green factor". In that context I'm not sure it can be said that hands down an EV would do better for you. Please read my above comment as it covers some of the economic factors. Long term, an EV such as the Bolt is compelling due to the very low cost of ownership. The Prius has shown itself to be damn near bulletproof however (with a few notable exceptions), so it may be close in the longevity department. But again, TCO should be lower with an EV because of less maintenance costs.

To compare fueling costs you would have to spreadsheet your own circumstances. How much do you pay for electricity at home? Does your utility have discounted overnight EV rates? Would you need to charge mid-day? Are there conveniently located DC fast chargers in your driving area (forget Level 2 chargers as they take too long for ridesharing work)?

Up front costs are a bit lower for a Prius. But the Feds, and some states, have incentives that lower the effective upfront cost of an EV. I leased my Bolt this year in California, and GM passed back 1/2 of the Federal tax credit ($3750). I then received an $4500 dollar check from the state (even though I leased!). There are also utility and county rebates, which I did not qualify for because the country funds were exhausted, and I live off the grid. But rebates and credits can bring the bring the upfront costs to near the price level of a Prius. Again, you'd have to check for where you live.

I don't think I'd sell a Prius in a good mechanical condition to buy an EV such as the Bolt strictly on an economic basis. But when it comes time to buy another car it may be worth looking into. ;>


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## The Gift of Fish (Mar 17, 2017)

Coastal_Cruiser said:


> Then there is the fact that you are not polluting the atmosphere.


You're not, but the fossil fuel - burning power stations that generate most of the electricity that goes into your car certainly do. Out of sight evidently is out of mind for some, but it's not out of reality.

Then there's the massive environmental impact of producing all of those large lithium batteries:

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/lithium-batteries-environment-impact

The smug Tesla owners who have those ridiculously misguided licence plates that say "zero emis" or "gas haha" etc probably have no clue why their plates or even their cars themselves are so ironic.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have an environmentally friendly and practical electric car. We're just not there yet.


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## Coastal_Cruiser (Oct 1, 2018)

The Gift of Fish said:


> You're not, but the fossil fuel - burning power stations that generate most of the electricity that goes into your car certainly do. Out of sight evidently is out of mind for some, but it's not out of reality.
> 
> Then there's the massive environmental impact of producing all of those large lithium batteries:
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have an environmentally friendly and practical electric car. We're just not there yet.


We're getting closer though. Your points are brought up often, and have some validity, but consider this. One, it's easier to contain pollution at the source. A huge sea-change is underway toward sustainable energy, which in part has to do with electricity generation. My state of California is near the 50% mark creating volts with non-polluting renewables. The coal industry is on its last legs, because no investor wants to provide the $$$ to build new plants. They assume the plant won't be there long enough to pay back the capital investment. Secondly, and in the same vein, its becoming safer, not more dangerous to make the batteries. On the back end Tesla is not throwing depleted batteries in the landfill. They are re-manufacturing them.

Also, internal combustion motor manufacturing is among the world's largest consumer of energy and raw materials.

So with EVs we are at least moving in the right direction. It's a process, and its fun to be on what will be the winning side (even diehard internal combustion fans, such as Bob Lutz and Jay Leno, know the future is electric).


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## doyousensehumor (Apr 13, 2015)

An apartment dweller would be charging 3-4 hours a day at least. There's no charging near my apt, so unless the driver sleeps in the car, it would be better to use a gas car. When they get to 400 mi range, and I get a house, then it may be worth it.


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## tohunt4me (Nov 23, 2015)

The Gift of Fish said:


> Hmmm..... I get 500 miles from $48 of gas with my Camry Hybrid; less than $10 per $100 miles. And it's an old, first generation model.
> 
> I thought electric cars were supposed to be cheaper to run. If they're not, what's the point?


Just do like Rohit in India.
Steal Power.

I prefer to recharge from traffic cam power feed !

Lighted roadside signs are good also.


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## JaxUberLyft (Jan 9, 2019)

Most of my charging is at home at a cost of 10.5 cents per kWh. It works out to just over two cents per mile. Recharge rate 7 kW; battery total 60 kWh.

Cost of using public fast chargers can be much higher - EVGo stations cost 5-6x home charging rate, so I avoid those except when absolutely necessary. The next generation Electrify America chargers cost much less than EVGo.

A LyftUber driver pretty much has to own or have very convenient access to L2 charger (6-10 kW), otherwise the economics won't work.

For now anyway, the growing Electrify America (EA) charge network, built and subsidized by VW because of their "Dieselgate" emissions scam, is much cheaper. A recharge from 10% to 70% takes 45 minutes and costs $7-8 (That same charge on a typical EVGo 50 kW 100 amp station would take an extra 15 minutes and cost $18 - 21. Restated in cost per kWh - EA = 19-22 cents; EVGo 50-60 cents. Charging to just 70-80 % is typical using fast chargers since most EVs taper their charge rate above 70-80%.

I get about 4.5 miles per kWh...so home charging costs just over 2 cents / mile, EA charging maybe 5 cents / mile, EVGo charging maybe 12-15 cents per mile.

The jury is still out, but it is probably not a good idea in terms of battery life to be fast charging every day...better to charge at the slower at home L2 rate when feasible

A fulltimer might charge overnight, drive an AM shift, plug back in at home for 4-6 hours and have plenty to drive a PM shift.

Hope these details help readers "get the picture" as to using an EV for LyftUber

PS - winter driving uses quite a bit more electricity - 20-50% more. In fairness, gas cars use more fuel in winter as well, but the impact isn't as noticeable.


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## O-Side Uber (Jul 26, 2017)

Ignatz said:


> _How much does it cost to charge a Chevy Bolt?_
> 
> If electricity costs $0.11 per kWh and the vehicle consumes 34 kWh to travel 100 miles, the* cost per mile is about $0.04.*
> if electricity costs $0.11 per kilowatt-hour,charging an all-electric vehicle with a 70-mile range (assuming a fully depleted 24 kWh battery) will cost about* $2.64 to reach a full charge.*
> ...


Wow check out Bignatz chiming in on the Bolt!!


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## JaxUberLyft (Jan 9, 2019)

Wow - such insightful commentary about a heretofore misunderstood relationship between a vehicle's source of energy and its owners personal preferences!

Thank you so much for sharing...the internet gets better by the day because of all the hard work by folks just like you!


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