Behavioral Adaptation of Electric-Vehicle Uber Drivers Compared to Internal Combustion Engine Uber Drivers

Electric Vehicles (EVs) have recently proliferated in the ridesharing business, making up an increasing percentage of vehicles in large ridesharing companies such as UBER and LYFT. However, EVs have distinct characteristics, including shorter driving range and lower fuel cost, that set them apart from traditional internal gas combustion vehicles (ICE). This study aimed to quantify the differences in driving behavior between electric vehicle rideshare drivers (EV drivers) and internal combustion engine vehicle rideshare drivers (ICE drivers). Analysis of a dataset containing EV and nonEV drivers revealed significant differences between EV and ICE driver behavior, dependent on factors such as proximity to charging stations or time-of-day, with EV drivers generally driving lesser amounts compared to ICE drivers. Furthermore, significant differences between individual drivers indicate EV v. ICE driver behavior may depend significantly on driver type, an implication that will be explored in future studies.