EV rental options for Uber and Lyft drivers! Teslas from Hertz, and more

Want to use an electric vehicle to drive for Uber and Lyft? Both companies now offer EV rentals in most major US cities through Hertz, Avis, and Flexdrive. 

EV rentals start at ~$330 per week, plus taxes and fees. You can rent a Tesla, Chevy Bolt, Kia Niro, Hyundai Kona, and other popular EV models.

Read on to see every EV rental option on Uber and Lyft, then scroll to the bottom to see if we think EVs are worth it and which company has the better EV options.

How to see electric vehicle rental options on Uber and Lyft

Uber offers rentals in the Vehicle Marketplace, and Lyft offers rentals in the Express Drive program.

How to find EV rentals in the Uber Vehicle Marketplace

In the Uber driver app, tap Menu > Account > Vehicles > View Rental Options. If you don’t see “View Rental Options” in the Vehicles section, rentals are not available in your area.

To find EV rentals in the Vehicle Marketplace, tap the Electric Vehicles tab or scroll to find an EV.

How to find EV rentals on Lyft Express Drive

In the Lyft driver app, tap Menu > Vehicles and Devices > Your Vehicles. If rentals are available in your city, you will see a Lyft Express Drive section.

To find an EV option, choose either the Fixed Pricing or Flexible Pricing plans, then scroll to find an electric listing.

Uber EV rental options

Uber drivers in many cities can now rent a rideshare-ready electric vehicle through partnerships with Hertz, Avis, and other rental car companies.

Uber EV rentals aren’t cheap—most start at $320 per week or more—but Uber offers EVgo charging discounts and a $1 bonus for every ride that you complete in an EV.

Tesla rentals through Hertz are a popular—but expensive—option

Through a partnership with Uber, Hertz now offers Tesla Model 3 rentals in most major US cities.

Rentals start at $330 per week with insurance and unlimited miles included. The insurance policy has a $1000 deductible, but you can buy a loss damage waiver for $5–$10 per day that reduces your deductible to $0.

Hertz requires a $200 refundable deposit that will be returned to you after you return the vehicle.

With fees and charging, the final cost of a Tesla rental can be up to $500 per week. It’s essential that you drive full-time to make a Tesla rental worth it!

Tesla rentals are eligible for the Uber zero-emissions bonus, which pays $1 per ride, up to $4,000 per year. That can help offset the high cost of the rental.

Another perk of renting a Tesla Model 3 is that it is eligible for higher-paying rides from Uber Comfort, Comfort Electric, and Green.

There are eligibility requirements to rent a Tesla: You must have at least 50 trips or Uber Eats deliveries with an average rating of 4.85 or higher.

Paying for charging on a Tesla rental

How you pay for charging depends on the policies of the Hertz location.

Payments for charging may go through Hertz: You can be charged at the time of charging, or you can be charged all at once at the end of your rental period. Ask Hertz for more details when you rent pick up the Tesla.

You may even get lucky and get free charging if the Tesla is new enough. Tesla offered free charging benefits for some 2023 model year Teslas, and Hertz passes that benefit down to renters.

The shocking reality: How much a Tesla rental can really cost

An Uber driver on Reddit shared the receipt for a Tesla rental that shows how shockingly expensive a Tesla rental can really be. They were charged over $2300 for a one-month rental!

Some of the charges on the bill were refundable or not related, but the final cost of the Tesla was around $1800 for one month.

More context is necessary: Some of the $2300 is a refundable deposit, and a separate 2-day rental for $75/day should be excluded.

After exluding those, the cost of the rental was over $1800 for one month. And according to other drivers, $500 per week is not unheard of for Tesla rentals.

And the earnings potential isn’t always great. Even Uber is advertising only $12 per hour in Orlando!

• Even Uber admits that renters don’t earn much

How much you can earn with a Tesla

A driver on Reddit shared an eye-opening example of a Tesla rental experience. They paid $475 for the rental, $75 for charging, and earned around $1350 after 50 hours of driving.

That comes out to only $16 per hour from renting a Tesla. Those aren’t great earnings, but it is in line with the lower end of the $15–$25 per hour average that most Uber drivers experience.

There are a few things that this driver could have done to improve their earnings: They could have found cheaper charging and they could have selected better rides or driven at busier times of day.

But not every driver will be able to achieve their maximum earnings after only one week of renting. There is a learning curve, and you’re going to spend a lot of money on a Tesla rental while you figure how to maximize profits.

Other Hertz EV rentals on Uber

The Hertz Tesla rental gets the most attention from drivers, but Hertz also offers other EV rentals for a lower price.

You can rent a Hyundai Kona Electric, Chevy Bolt, and other similar EVs for around $310 per week and a $200 refundable deposit.

Unlike the Hertz Tesla rentals, other Hertz EV rentals don’t require you to have a 4.85-star rating or 50 trips under your belt.

Avis

Avis on Uber now offers EV rentals in some cities, starting at $285 per week. Check the Vehicle Marketplace in your Uber Driver app to see if Avis offers EV rentals in your market.

• EV models include Chevy Bolt, Kia Niro, Hyundai Kona
• Pricing starts at $285 per week
• $200 refundable deposit
• Unlimited miles
• Insurance included, $1000 deductible
• Requirements: Be 25 or older with 100 trips and a rating of 4.7 or higher

Ford: Lease a Mustang Mach-E

Uber drivers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego can lease a Mustang Mach-E directly through Ford.

The leasing period ranges from 1 to 4 months, with pricing starting at $1000 per week for 500 miles or $249 per week for 1,000 miles. Additional miles cost $0.20 per mile.

Unlike most rentals, the Ford lease does NOT include insurance. You will need to provide your own rideshare-friendly insurance policy.

Hive EV rentals

Hive EV is a startup in Los Angeles that offers EV rentals for $169 per week + $0.20 per mile.

• Rent a Chevy Bolt or other small EV
• $169 per week + $0.20 per mile
• Unlimited charging is included
• Insurance is NOT included
• Available in Los Angeles

Charging your Uber rental

Figuring out where and how to charge your car is one of the biggest challenges of driving an EV.

Uber makes some attempts to help you with the charging challenge by providing resources that can help you find a place to charge, and get a discount.

Uber partners with EVgo, one of the largest public EV charging networks with over 850 charging stations in more than 30 states.

You can get 15–45% off EVgo charging, depending on your Uber Pro rewards level.

Drivers with the Blue rewards level get 15% off EVgo. Gold, Platinum, and Diamond drivers get 45% off.

Tesla rentals can charge at Tesla Supercharger stations and most other public chargers. Some Hertz Tesla rentals even include free charging, but only if is a new vehicle from the current model year.

But if you rent a non-Tesla EV, you’ll have to do your own research to figure out where and how to charge your car.

EVgo is a good start, and there are many other apps that can help you find charging stations that are compatible with your rental.

Uber zero emissions incentive: $1 per ride

Until January 1, 2024, all EV drivers on Uber can get a $1 ride per bonus, up to $4,000 total. The bonus is applied automatically to each ride that you give in an EV.

The bonus is available to both EV renters and owners.

Lyft EV rental options: Hertz

Lyft drivers in many larger cities can rent an EV through the Lyft Express Drive rental program. Hertz is the largest provider of EV rentals on Lyft, and rentals cost around $350 per week.

Hertz may offer EV rentals in cities where other Hertz Express Drive rentals are available. Visit this page at Lyft.com to see if you can rent with Hertz in your city

• Lyft EV rentals start at $354 per week plus taxes
• $150 refundable deposit
• Available EV models include Chevy Bolt EUV, Kia Niro, Hyundai Kona, and Polestar 2
• Insurance is included, $1000 deductible
• Unlimited miles are included
• An EV rental bonus is available in California, up to $150 per week

Lyft also partners with Flexdrive for Express Drive rentals, but Flexdrive currently only offers EV rentals in a few select cities and does not list any information online about their EV offerings.

Hertz EV rental bonus for Lyft: Only in California

In California, Lyft offers an EV rental bonus that can pay up to $150 per week to renters.

The bonus structure is:

• $60 bonus for 50 qualifying rides in a week
• $80 bonus for 70 qualifying rides in a week
• $150 bonus for 90 qualifying rides in a week

The rental bonus can make the price of EV rentals more competitive with the price of regular rentals, which generally start at $250 per week.

Many full-time drivers will easily reach 90 rides per week, which can bring the cost of an EV rental down to around $230 per week.

Lyft may offer other market-specific EV rentals

Lyft doesn’t always list every rental option online, so watch out for Lyft EV rental options that are only available in select cities.

One Lyft driver in Denver rented an EV directly through Lyft—not through Hertz or another rental agency. They said rentals started at $230 per week for a Kia Niro and $330 per week for a Tesla Model 3.

Charging your Lyft rental

Lyft partners with EVgo to offer discounts on charging when you connect your Lyft driver account with EVgo.

Discounts are based on your Lyft rewards tier. The higher the tier, the higher the discount.

Third-party EV rentals

You aren’t only limited to the rentals that Uber and Lyft offer. EVs are also available from third-party rideshare rental car companies that you can use for Uber, Lyft, or any other gig app.

HyreCar

HyreCar is a peer-to-peer vehicle marketplace where you can rent vehicles from private owners. EVs are a popular option on HyreCar.

HyreCar provides all the documents you need to easily add the vehicle to your driver profile, and insurance is included with every rental.

One big advantage of HyreCar is that you can use the rental for any gig app. Uber rentals are limited to Uber, and you can only use Lyft Hertz rentals for Lyft.

EVmo

RideShareRental, also called EVmo, offers EV and Hybrid rentals that include insurance and unlimited miles.

EVs currently rent for around $300 per week on EVmo at RideShareRental.com.

RideShareRental is currently available in Los Angeles, Oakland CA, Las Vegas, Chicago, Cranford NJ, Vista CA, San Diego CA, and Westfield NJ.

Loss Damage Waivers may be a good idea for EV rentals!

The standard insurance policy included with Hertz, Avis, and Flexdrive rentals has a $1000 deductible. That means that you will have to pay up to $1000 if you cause any damage to the vehicle—including damage to tires and glass.

Fortunately, the rental agencies offer damage waivers that can reduce your liability to $0 if you pay an additional $5–$10 per day.

“Loss damage waivers” are a good idea for EV rentals because parts and labor costs are so high for EVs that almost any damage to the vehicle can easily cost $1000.

Teslas in particular have expensive windshields, side glass, rear glass, and wheels, so any damage to those parts could cost you the full $1000 deductible if you don’t get the loss damage waiver.

You won’t have to pay anything out of pocket if you buy the loss damage waiver. Simply call the rental agency to report the damage and arrange to pick up a new rental.

Lyft vs Uber EV rental options: Which is better?

When it comes to EV rentals, Uber has more options than Lyft. Uber EV rentals are in more cities than Lyft, Uber partners with multiple rental agencies that offer EVs, and Uber has the most popular option: The Hertz Tesla rental.

Lyft EV rentals on Express Drive are far more limited, and in most cities you can only get an EV through Hertz.

Another feature unique to renters on Uber is the zero emissions incentive, the $1 per ride bonus that applies to EV owners and EV renters—up to $4000 per year.

Lyft has the EV Ride Challenge bonus—$150 for 50 rides—but it is only available for EV owners, not renters.

Regarding charging, Uber does a better job at addressing the costs & challenges of keeping your work vehicle charged.

EVgo discounts are available on both apps, but Uber features the offer prominently in the Uber Vehicle marketplace. On Lyft, I had to dig deep to discover their partnership with EVgo.

Does it make financial sense to rent an EV for Uber or Lyft?

Just like non-EV rentals, renting a car to drive for Uber or Lyft only makes financial sense if you plan to drive full time, at least 40 hours per week.

At $300–$450 per week, plan to spend at least 15 hours just to pay off the rental. During slow times, paying off the rental and earning a profit can take even longer.

Many Tesla owners point out that owning a Tesla might only cost $500 per month. So why would you rent at $1300+ per month when you can own for less?

For many drivers, the advantage of renting over buying is that you don’t have to worry about depreciation and maintenance on rentals.

And many rideshare drivers don’t want to commit to buying a Tesla or EV without trying it first. If you don’t like the EV experience, you can always turn in your rental and choose something else.

Ultimately, renting an EV makes sense if you drive close to full time for Uber or Lyft and want to try an EV without committing to buying one.