Yes, buying an electric vehicle (EV) for e-hailing can significantly increase net driver profits by cutting fuel costs and lowering routine engine maintenance. However, e-hailing drivers must balance these savings against higher initial vehicle purchase prices, insurance premiums, and daily charging logistics (public vs. home charging).
However, there are a few other considerations to bear in mind, like safety, insurance, keeping your battery charged and factoring in time & range constraints.
With the right e-hailing software, a little bit of strategic thinking and a solid plan, you can reach new levels of success with an electric car as your daily breadwinner. In this guide, Cartrack lays out all the great reasons you should become an EV e-hailing driver, as well as what other considerations to take into account before making the purchase.
So if your research has brought you here, keep reading to learn everything you need to know.
Saving on fuel and safeguarding the environment are obvious benefits to using an electric vehicle for e-hailing. But there are other reasons to go this route if you’re thinking about purchasing a new car for passenger transport—or simply want to enter the e-hailing industry to begin with.
These include the convenience of home charging, zero-emissions driving, low maintenance, and ultimately higher profits!
The luxury of charging your electric car at home is reason enough to opt for EV e-hailing. You can bypass busy fuel stations and enjoy the comforts of your home while your car battery prepares for your next round of trips.
You’ll be doing the planet a favour by not adding to the ever-increasing emissions that pollute the earth’s atmosphere. Hybrid cars are a great step to reducing emissions, but EVs allow motorists to eliminate vehicle-derived carbon emissions altogether!
With fuel prices going up at a whim, EVs safeguard you against rising petrol costs. While everyone else is scrambling to increase their prices, yours will remain stable and unaffected by petrol price hikes.
Although fossil fuels are needed to power electricity supply, EV e-hailing drivers have the potential to use renewable energy like solar or wind for charging their cars.
EVs are highly responsive in their operational capacity. Acceleration is instant, and the safety features are superior to most internal combustion engine vehicles.
You have the potential to save a lot of your expenses as an e-hailing driver with an electric car. All three ways eliminate fuel—but the level of savings depends on which of these strategies you opt for.
When it comes to the ROI of your electric car, the need for less maintenance is a big selling point. Some components need the same amount of maintenance, while others can go without a service for about twice as long as internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
The future goal of successful corporations across the globe is one of “zero emissions”. This can only be done through fleet electrification. Investing in an EV right NOW is one of the best decisions you can make for low-expense job security as an e-hailing driver.
The South African government is joining other world governments in regulating e-hailing as an industry in various ways. One of those ways is enforcing ESG compliance. But this is good news for drivers who’ve opted for EVs as their main means of passenger transportation.
Mandatory ESG: What does this mean for e-hailing drivers? It means that EV drivers are already ahead of their colleagues in so many ways. ESG legislation looks at the Environmental, Social, and Governance practices of companies—and the focus right now is on e-hailing companies!
Basically, in the future you can expect to see ONLY electric cars in e-hailing companies, which may place restrictions on those who’ve opted for ICE vehicles.
It’s best not to underestimate the environmental conscientiousness of consumers. More and more passengers are showing preference to EV-driving transporters because they want to display a sense of social responsibility in their daily decisions.
So not only are e-hailing companies themselves preferring EV drivers, customers are too! There’s a novelty to using an EV for transport means. And one day, it’ll be the norm.
When you’re an e-hailing driver, you must treat your job as a business. There are financial considerations like budgeting for future expenses and overhead management to keep in mind.
To really boost your profits as an EV e-hailing driver, it’s a mistake to conclude that simply buying one is profitable. There are financial strategies to take into consideration, like insurance, safety and battery awareness.
Remember that at this point, insurance companies are charging higher premiums to insure EVs. Replacement and repair on these cars are higher, so the risk matches up with the monthly costs.
However, as a professional passenger transporter, you have the opportunity to keep your risk profile as low as possible. So, let’s talk about safety.
For insurance savings, you must have a tracking device on your electric car. Even though theft of your vehicle is statistically lower, it’s still a risk you should curb by partnering with a tracking & recovery provider.
Cartrack’s impressive recovery record should put us at the top of your list, since our add-on services also work well with electric vehicles:
Your protection is more important than the protection of your car. EV cars are fitted with a myriad of great safety features, and this is just another reason to get one as an e-hailing driver.
But if you want to fortify your safety even more, Cartrack has a strong reputation as one of the best e-hailing dashcam providers in South Africa. These have already proven very useful in the industry with companies like Bolt and Uber.
Not only can they exonerate you if you’re in an accident caused by someone else, they can also view your customer interactions and prove that you conducted yourself professionally during trips.
When every trip you make throughout the day is completely random and unpredictable, route optimisation becomes your new best friend. And no, we’re not just talking about navigation apps that you can download on your phone—we mean professional route optimisation that’s dynamic and real-time-sensitive.
Navigation software from Cartrack is designed to keep you safe while saving you on battery power during your trips. If you want to increase the longevity of your EV and spend less transporting passengers, speak to a Cartrack consultant today!
Cartrack’s parent company, Karooooo, had ESG policies in place long before it became a major talking point in South Africa. For years now we’ve aimed our technology & service to expanding the longevity of your vehicles—which is a huge plus for e-hailing drivers.
We also encourage a positive social impact on everything related to our fleet services, which is why we emphasise 3 of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals in our own business—and carry those over to you as an e-hailing driver.
Read or download Karooooo’s full ESG report here.
Are electric cars viable options for those working in the e-hailing industry? Learn the pros & cons and make the right decision on your next car purchase.
