Why EVs make sense above ~30k miles/year
Full-time gig drivers cover 35–60k miles a year. At those volumes the energy and maintenance gap between an EV and a gas sedan is $4k–$8k/yr — enough to pay off the EV premium in 2–4 years.
- • Energy: $0.04/mi on home electricity vs $0.11–$0.16/mi on gas.
- • Maintenance: no oil changes, far less brake wear (regen), no transmission service.
- • Depreciation: closer to gas now in 2026, but resale value varies sharply by model.
- • Insurance: typically slightly higher for EVs — add 5–10% to the calc if you're being thorough.
When gas still wins
Part-time gig drivers under ~15k miles/year, drivers without home charging (forced onto Supercharger / public DC at $0.30–$0.50/kWh), and drivers in markets where used Camrys / Corollas trade at 60% the price of a comparable EV.
Rideshare-specific EV considerations
Uber Comfort Electric and Lyft Green Mode in supported cities pay a small premium per trip ($0.50–$1.50). Some platforms also offer EV-specific bonuses. Bake any of those into 'gross per hour' on the rideshare calculator.
FAQ
Is a Tesla Model 3 worth it for Uber?
At 40k+ rideshare miles a year with home charging, yes — fuel + maintenance savings usually clear $4–6k/yr, paying back the price premium over a Camry-class sedan in 2–3 years.
What if I don't have home charging?
Public DC fast charging at $0.30–$0.50/kWh closes most of the EV cost advantage. Run the calc with the higher electricity rate to see; for many no-home-charging drivers, a hybrid wins instead.
Does this account for the US EV tax credit?
No — subtract any tax credit (up to $7,500 in the US for qualifying EVs) directly from the EV purchase price before plugging in.
How this calculator is built
Independently maintained
Written by Sam Doshi and the RevenueLab editorial team. We don't sell the data feeds this tool is built on.
Sourced from primary data
Benchmarks come from public AdSense / Stripe / IRS disclosures and reader-submitted data — never third-party "$X per view" claims. Full methodology.
Last reviewed
July 2026. We re-check every figure on the platform on a rolling quarterly cycle.
Editorial standards
See our editorial policy and disclaimer. Results are estimates, not advice.