Earn on your own schedule

Tips on electric vehicles – from driver to driver

20 March 2019 / United Kingdom

We’ve been chatting with Olu about driving his EV, a Nissan LEAF. He told us about some of the pros and cons, how long it takes to charge and how much it costs.
Hey Olu. Firstly, why did you start driving with Uber?
I used to be a bus driver, in London. I’ve always wanted to do something for myself, be self-employed.
Can you remember your first Uber trip?
I was a bit nervous because I didn’t know what to expect. But it was a pleasant experience. I gradually started to get into the rhythm. I started enjoying it. It’s been fun since then.
Do you have a daily routine?
That’s the beauty of driving with Uber, you can just make everything fit into your schedule. I’ve driven night buses and I didn’t really like the experience. So when I started driving with Uber, I decided I wasn’t going to do nights.
What inspired you to start driving electric?
To be honest, I like technology. I like new things.
Is driving your electric vehicle any different to a traditional car?
I love it! I love to drive this car, believe me. It doesn’t make noise, it drives really nicely, it’s fast and very comfortable.
In terms of what it costs to run, have you noticed much of a difference?
It’s a massive difference. Because it’s a Nissan Leaf, if you drive to a Nissan dealership it’s 100% free to charge. That alone is a huge saving. Charging overnight, full charge, it costs about six pounds.
How many times a day do you have to charge normally?
The maximum I’ve ever charged is three times. Once at home and then twice on the street.
When your car is charging during the day, what do you do?
One of two things, I have a Monopoly game on my tablet. So while it charges I just play the game on my tablet. Most of the time, once I plug it in I look at the time. I know it’s going to take about 40 minutes to charge from 0 to 80%, so I go for a quick run. That depends on my mood though, sometimes I just want to sit down!
Are passengers ever surprised when they find out your car is electric?
Everyone that comes into my car says ‘oh wow this doesn’t feel like an electric car!’ or they don’t know it’s an electric car. When they get the notification that your driver is driving the Nissan Leaf, they expect a tiny car. But it’s not!
Do you have any advice for anyone thinking of going electric?
I would encourage them to go ahead and get it, 100%. I don’t think anybody should worry about getting one, it’s fantastic. They definitely won’t believe how much they will save. Plus, the congestion charge is coming and these are exempt from this. It’s a no brainer.
Thanks Olu!
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