- An Uber driver says surging gas prices mean it's cheaper to lease a luxury EV then pay for gas.
- Heidi Barnes told Bloomberg she pays $450 a week to lease a Tesla but it costs $600 to run her Toyota.
- The average price of gasoline surged above $5 a gallon in June.
A Los Angeles Uber driver who ditched her Toyota car in favor of renting a $334 a week luxury Tesla said that the surging price of gasoline means it's cheaper to do so.
Heidi Barnes, 34, told Bloomberg that it cost $450 a week to lease a Model 3 Tesla sedan, compared with the $600 it costs to run her 2009 Toyota Camry, after the cost for her to fill a full tank of gas rose from $60 to $100.
Gas prices have been rising globally, in part due to the war in Ukraine. US prices have been impacted by falling levels of domestic oil production and fracking.
The average price of gasoline surged above $5 a gallon in June, which is a record, according to the American Automobile Association. Although it's fallen to around $4.8, it's still well above last year's average of $3.1 per gallon.
That, coupled with rising inflation — which is driven to a large part by gasoline prices — is hitting US consumers hard.
"It was a huge push to get in a Tesla sooner rather than later," Barnes told Bloomberg.
Barnes takes home $2600 renting a Tesla for 25 days, compared with between the $800 and $1,000 she took home driving the Camry, which she'd affectionately named "The Beast," per Bloomberg.
Barnes is not alone in her decision to swap to EVs. The number of Uber drivers using Tesla increased 186% in May 2022, compared with the previous June, according to Bloomberg, citing statistics from Gridwise.
Uber drivers who have more than 150 trips and a rating of above 4.7 can lease a Tesla for $334 a week, including insurance maintenance and unlimited miles. This is the result of a deal the firm signed with the rental company Hertz in October 2021. Uber also offers drivers a $1 zero-emissions incentive if they opt for an electric car, per Bloomberg.
It means renting is often a cheaper alternative for drivers like Barnes looking to go green.
The average price paid for an EV surged 22% over the last year, partly due to rising costs of raw materials needed to make batteries. Americans paid on average $54,000 in the year to May 2022, compared to $44,000 last year.
