Driving in an Electric Vehicle: Getting Started Guide

July 27, 2019 by Jennifer Sensiba

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Of course, electric vehicles (EVs) are perfect for the environment in most places. Fighting for a living by carpooling for companies like Lyft and Uber makes other things even more important. If the car stops earning a living instead of helping you put more money on the table, all the warm feelings of the world that stem from the weaker footprint you have achieved can not keep the owner away paid or repo.

An electric vehicle can save you a lot of money if you do it right. On the one hand, do not buy gasoline is a considerable advantage in itself. Electricity is usually much cheaper. Maintenance is also much cheaper in an electric vehicle because you will not have to do any oil changes, tuning and many other things that combustion cars need.

Knowing where you are going when you're thinking of renting or buying an EV can mean the difference between success and failure. In this article, I will share what I learned to drive different electric vehicle models in four metropolitan areas, as well as what I learned to talk to other drivers at various airports.

If you are not already carpooling

I want to be responsible and say this first: do not go for an expensive car, leave your day job and think Uber and Lyft will keep you afloat from day one. It probably would not work if you did that.

I do not want to discourage you from getting into that, though. You just have to have realistic expectations.

Understand that there is a learning curve. It will take time to figure out how to make money in your city. You will need to determine where the right job is, when it's happening, and how to get it. Even if you have decided that it would be your full-time job, start doing it part-time so that you have a chance to learn the ropes before you rely on your livelihood. Do it for at least a year so that you know if your city is experiencing significant seasonal lows.

Of course, there are drivers who earn a lot of money at this position full time, but there are many others who are not doing very well. The sad truth is that outside of peak periods (rush hour, weekends, bar runs at 2:00 am), there are already too many drivers in ridesharing. The salary continues to fall in most cities. Surge / PrimeTime is not what it was. In some cities, it's a good part of the year and almost dead the other months.

For many drivers, it's just a "secondary shake," and there's nothing wrong with doing it. A good strategy is to work during the busiest hours, earn a good hourly wage and work better elsewhere during off-peak hours. I have also met with many retirees, disabled veterans and others who do not need a full-time job and benefit a lot from their carpool work. It's about finding the right balance for your own situation.

If this still interests you, sign up for Uber here and for Lyft here. Yes, these are referral links, but I do not have much for each driver who signs up, and I get nothing unless you make a certain number of trips. The main reason I share them is that you get a small guarantee for the first month or the number of trips, depending on the city in which you live. I hope this will help you!

The rest of this guide is devoted to the use of an EV with ridesharing and delivery services. If you're looking for general information on getting started with carpooling, I recommend getting there.

Understanding the load of electric vehicles

Before going out and buying or renting an EV, you must understand the basics of charging an electric vehicle.

Levels and types of charge

There are three types of electric vehicle charging: level 1, level 2 and level 3. Level 1 is plugged into a standard electrical outlet in the United States, giving you a charging range of 3 to 5 km per hour. Level 2 comes from a 220V source, such as a RV park card, a dryer plug or a home charging station. Many shops and other car parks also offer such chargers. Level 2 adds between 10 and 40 miles per hour, depending on the car and the load equipment. This usually comes from a J1772 card, but Teslas or other cars equipped with an adapter can use the Tesla destination refill.

Level 3 charging (also known as fast charging DC or DCFC) is more complicated. You can add hundreds of kilometers per hour of charge with DC fast chargers, but they are much less common. There are three types of DCFCs in the US: Tesla Supercharging, CCS or CHAdeMO. Only Teslas can charge to Tesla Supercharger stations. Most new electric vehicles are CCS compatible. The Nissan LEAF and some other Japanese electric vehicles use the CHAdeMO standard.

If you want to use level 3, be sure to stop at around 80% unless you absolutely need to reach a higher percentage. After about 80%, electric vehicles begin to slow down, so it is better to return to work. You do not want to be like a driver that I found sitting at 99%, waiting half an hour to get that last percentage. Be smart and go from the front!

Charge label

If you want to share the charging stations with other drivers, you must be polite and get along with them. You will see other drivers in ridesharing, but you will also see many who do not.

here is some rules it will go a long way towards this:

• Follow all the rules listed on the signs posted in the stations. Respect the owner of the station.
• Never park in a charging location unless you are charging, and leave as soon as you are done.
• Park between the lines so others can stop next to you.
• If you leave the car, leave your details on the dashboard so that people can contact you in case of emergency.
• Check in on PlugShare.
• Do not disconnect another car unless charging is complete.
• Take care of the loading task. Do not throw rubbish, store cables and handles, and clean after less attentive drivers. Pros like you should not do anything less.
• If you see a car next to you with a charging port / door open when you leave, it means that they want you to plug them in next. Do this for them.
• If you find a gas car blocking a station, be polite, but firm with those who block it. Ask them to move. If they are drivers in a gas car, take pictures and report them to Lyft and Uber.
• If you find a cone blocking a space, it is usually there to prevent gasoline drivers from parking. Move it, load, and replace the cone.

Find an electric vehicle for carpooling

Your range needs

If you already work in carpooling, you must determine the number of kilometers you drive in a day and the type of kilometers you usually drive. For my part, I found that a full day's work was typically around 300 miles most days. Many other drivers I've talked to have said the same thing, but it's obvious that your mileage may vary depending on the areas you focus on.

You do not really need a car with a range of 300 km to carpool EV, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First, you can not divide the number of kilometers traveled in a day by the reach of the car to determine the number of load stops to be performed daily. Unlike gas stations, EV stations are not found in almost every corner. If you fall close to 0%, you will easily find yourself stuck. It is also preferable that the battery of the car avoids falling below 10 to 20%, especially during the summer months. To keep a sufficient supply to always reach a fast charger, you will need to start with a 25% charger, but you can get 15% if needed.

There is also a thing called degressive. Most electric vehicles start to charge more slowly after reaching about 80% to protect the battery. This means that you could start the day with a 100% battery if you charge at home while you sleep, but the following charges will only be 80% to avoid wasting time charging.

At the end, As a general rule, it is badumed that you only get 60% of the car's range between charges. For example, a Chevrolet Bolt has an announced range of about 240 miles. 60% of this is about 144 miles. So, for a 300-mile driving day, you'll probably need 1 to 2 CC fast charge sessions a day, which take about 45 minutes to complete.

If you drive a lot on the highway, the reality is a little worse. If you are traveling at typical urban and suburban highway speeds, you may badume that you will get 20 to 30% less range than advertised.

Given all this, I would not recommend an electric vehicle with less than 60 kWh of battery. A Tesla, Chevy Bolt or Nissan LEAF Plus can do the job. With less, you will spend too much time loading, which would bother you.

Charger Availability

The next thing you need to do is go to PlugShare.com.

You can set the map to display the Tesla Supercharger, CCS, and CHAdeMO stations. Every city is different about it. If you live in a rural city without any fast charging on the map, an EV is probably not a good choice for you. Consider a hybrid or rechargeable hybrid (PHEV), unless you only work a few hours here and there. Keep it cheap so you can afford a upgrade later, though!

If you have at least one fast charger in the city where you live, you can probably use it effectively. Having 3 or more is better.

The next thing you want to look for is the J1772 and Tesla destination stations available. These stations are much slower, but they are generally more numerous. They offer you a good place to park when business idles without getting you to the nearest fast charger.

If the map looks like something you can live, an EV may be a good choice for you.

other considerations

Take a look at what different vehicles are paying in your city. You'll need one with at least 5 seats and 4 doors to do basic work like UberX. Although inexpensive, the first-generation Chevrolet Volt, Spark EV, BMW i3 or Fiat 500e will not even be allowed, except for delivery work, which pays less than pbadenger transport in the city.

If you want to earn more than the base salary, you will need a vehicle that can accommodate 7 people and / or enjoy luxury services. Examine the requirements of your city to determine if a Tesla could bring you more money than something more basic, such as a leaf or a bolt.

You must also closely examine your need for liquid cooling. If you live in a mild, northern environment with maximum daytime temperatures that often do not exceed 6 ° C (80 ° F), you can get away with driving like a LEAF with an air-cooled battery. . If you live in a warmer place, get a liquid cooling system, such as a bolt or a tesla.

Strategies to do more with an EV

ABC – Always be in charge

Unless you drive a pbadenger or delivery, you should probably charge your car. If your battery is over 50% or more, go to the nearest Level 2 station and plug it in while waiting for your next trip. You will not get much scope in most cases, but it adds up in a day and means a lower level 3 charge. It is quite common to find a free level 2 refill, but level 3 stations often cost you something to use.

If your battery is less than 50%, start by going to the nearest level 3 to charge faster.

Better yet, gain experience and find out which parts of your city are the busiest. Once you know which places are the most crowded, see where there are charging stations in these more lively areas. If you can find some, you have found your silver spots. Not only will you have business, but you'll spend less time recharging your car at level 3 stations. It's a win-win.

Avoid airports in most cases

Waiting again and again for an airport for trips is not a cost-effective carpooling strategy for an EV driver unless there are special circumstances in your city. Why? Because driving at the airport does not usually get along with electric vehicles.

The first problem is that you only earn money on 50% of your kilometers traveled. Think about it: you leave the airport with a pbadenger and you get paid for it, then you come back to the airport empty-handed and you deplete your battery!

The second problem is that electric vehicles are less efficient on highways than on "surface streets". At airports, you will generally have more outings requiring highway driving than in other places, which reduces the distance of your electric vehicle.

There are two major exceptions to this rule:

If the taxi queue at your airport is charging level 2 or 3 EV, you can charge it while waiting for the next trip. This can change things enough to make it worthwhile, especially if level 3 is available. Of course, driving is less efficient, but you can combine your load time with your waiting time, which is overall more efficient.

Another time, it makes sense to wait at the airport if you stop going to or near the airport, that you are doing well and that there are not too many drivers in the airport. queue in front of you. In this case, it makes sense to wait a few minutes to get your next ride, then try your luck for a long, profitable ride. Just be sure to accept "45+" trips unless you are charged for this long ride.

Charge more during off-peak periods

If you know that there are busy times ahead, especially when you expect an increase, do not experience this situation without preparation. For example, if you know you need to take a longer charge break, it's midnight and the bars close at 2am. Do not wait until 1:30 pm to go to the shipper. Appointment earlier, get a full charge and be ready to earn the most money during this busy hour.

Same thing when it comes to rush hours, the end of special events and any other activity for which you expect more profitable driving times. Be prepared and maximize your EV carpool income, even if you do not have a Tesla (or spaceship).

Illustrations by Chanan Bos, CleanTechnica

Keywords: chevrolet, chevy bolt, Chevy Volt, carpool EV, Lyft, Nissan, Nissan Leaf, plugShare, carpool, Tesla, Uber