Loneliness of the Long-Distance Tesla Uber Driver

Deficiency of charging infrastructure can give a Tesla Uber driver the blues.

By Adam Nelson, as told to David Waterworth

For more than 6 many years, I have presented transportation products and services for Uber, Didi, Ola, and my very own business enterprise, although accepting different other rideshare bookings. Previous yr, I bought a Tesla Model 3 Regular Range. I have completed 70,000 kilometers (43,500 miles) in 12 months, and each day generate in between 250 to 500 km (155 to 310 miles) in a motor vehicle that is constrained to a variety of 420 km (260 miles). If you want to gain far more and go even more than 420 km, you’re going to need to have to take a look at your closest DC rapidly charger for about 30–55 minutes to recharge. Remaining a rideshare driver, possessing rapid and trusted EV charging infrastructure available is really crucial. It suggests you can help you save time and approach a lot more successfully — charging in the silent periods, accepting the rides that generate you the most income.

I dwell in the Brisbane CBD, and my condominium carpark is not equipped with electric chargers nonetheless, so I am forced to vacation into the Fortitude Valley Superchargers just about every day (2 km). I can do this both before or right after a change to put together the motor vehicle with 100% cost.

At other places, I just can’t often find an speedy cost simply because of the lack of out there charging bays. Often charging bays are remaining utilized possibly with Nissan LEAFs, plugin hybrids, or Mercedes-Benz EVs using the DC quickly charger bays for lengthier durations of time. This can result in disappointment and you pass up the standard start times for rideshare motorists.

I have been experimenting with buying diverse types of work in between community and intercity drop-offs. Typically on Uber you have 15 seconds prior to a task is handed on or declined. You have to determine quickly if it is value using shorter or extended journeys based mostly on your all round battery cost position as perfectly as weather factors that may cut down your vary. In other phrases, just picture a bunch of figures and equations floating all-around your head and in 15 seconds you want to estimate the whole trip’s strength requirements with out canceling on the passenger. The Tesla app and 3rd bash apps like A Improved Route Planner are made use of sometimes for estimating pickup and return spherical journeys.

My working experience with EV ridesharing over a 12 thirty day period time period has primarily been with out problems. My most the latest practical experience was through the earlier thirty day period. I are inclined to consider the intercity operates on UberX, Ease and comfort, and Leading Careers. Looking through the waybill for a $150–356 fare is excellent. Nevertheless, there is a downside threat to this because the vehicle really needs at minimum a 80–100% demand to comprehensive the round trip without having obtaining to locate a charging end. Intercity runs can be Gold Coastline, Sunshine Coast, Caboolture, or Toowoomba. Gold Coastline is excellent due to the fact chargers are everywhere you go. Sunshine Coast can be even worse unless your purchaser is in close proximity to the Maroochydore Supercharger.

A new instance will demonstrate my stage. I was at Brisbane Airport on a Sunday at 10:30pm. I am sitting idle in the keeping place for 20–50 minutes with no a position nonetheless. Just by possibility a excursion arrives up with notification for a very long trip 45+ for $200. This means the fare is lengthier than 45 minutes and the distance is for a longer time than a shorter nearby hop from the airport to Brisbane metropolis. I deal with to umm and ah when gazing at the Tesla facts monitor for the battery position of 59%, and in just 15 seconds I approved the journey with the rider and just resolved to dwell with the effects afterwards.

The buyer was at the Brisbane Airport and I experienced to get him and his sons Lachlan and Tom to Noosa on the Sunshine Coastline. I spoke to the father and verified the fall-off locale, then utilized some ahead preparing by checking the Tesla navigation for an arrival time and battery estimate right before continuing. I found both equally Lachlan and Tom in the terminal and commenced the direct non-cease journey to Sunshine Coast in my Tesla with 59% of variety in the battery.

This is when you start to have difficulties with assortment and hoping to get back house. It is wintertime in Australia and raining as well. You might get rid of 5% of assortment from chilly batteries and touring at normal freeway speeds. These things will decrease the approximated selection. I get there in Sunshine Coastline with 6–9%, or <60 km of range, and then spend 5 mins looking at PlugShare and various charging stations nearby at 1:00 in the morning. If you’ve ever been to the Sunshine Coast and Noosa, you know you have limited options on where to charge. I ended up driving to Cooroy railway station and using a Queensland government electric super highway charger (50 kW) and spending 1 hour charging to full, 100%. The route was complicated by road closures at the time.

By now it was around 3am. Take note I accepted the ride at 10:30/11:00pm and have still not returned to Brisbane yet. I arrived home at 4:30am. It was a very time consuming and frustrating experience.

Now, you’re probably thinking I should have charged before leaving Brisbane. Your typical Tesla Uber driver doesn’t always have 100% battery and 420 km of range, especially when running a daily routine and a randomized schedule — unless you can juggle your scheduled day with recharges and clients using your own branded independent rideshare business. This is easy in comparison to playing the game of snakes and ladders on Uber or other rideshares.

The simple solution would be to place a bank of 75 kW chargers in convenient locations where rideshare drivers wait for fares. Typically, around Australian airports you will find car parks converted into holding areas for rideshare, taxi, limo, or other airport ground transportation operators. But they don’t have EV chargers at these car parks.

After purchasing my EV, I attempted to encourage the Brisbane Airport Corporation to include chargers in the Ground Transportation Operation (GTO) area for taxis, ridesharing, and limos (this is a rideshare geofencing tagged area where you can wait and receive trips — if a Tesla Uber driver travels outside this area, he won’t be allowed to pick up airport trips). Brisbane Airport Corporation offers 4 EV chargers at DFO, intended for staff initially. BAC said “we’re not interested” and pushed the issue aside instead of expanding this offering into a dedicated GTO area.

Even Teslas get the blues. Photo courtesy of Majella Waterworth.

My suggested solution is rows of DC fast chargers with a solar panel shade (carport) placed in the holding area. This would allow for rapid charging while cars are waiting in feeding and holding areas for work. Typically, cars can spend 15 minutes to 1 hour idle in rideshare areas, and that’s enough to recharge an EV close to 100% and resolve any range issues that rideshare, taxi and limo ground transportation operators would have.

Airports are missing a great opportunity for revenue and carbon credits. They could control and brand the chargers, or they could contract the service out. There would be many eager bidders — Tesla, Chargefox, Evie Network, and more. As more EVs enter the ground transportation space at airports, there will be pressure for solutions like this to be implemented for Tesla Uber drivers.

When they do this, I’ll be able to offer a more effective rideshare service for customers, and get to bed earlier!

Featured photo courtesy of Adam Nelson.

&#13
 &#13

Appreciate CleanTechnica’s originality and cleantech news coverage? Consider becoming a CleanTechnica Member, Supporter, Technician, or Ambassador — or a patron on Patreon.

&#13
 &#13