Do you drive Uber X? Is your car no longer eligible for Uber or Lyft? Are you thinking of getting a new vehicle to do rideshare? Are you maybe considering driving Uber Black?
As of January 1, 2021, I’m in the same boat. My 2010 Prius is not eligible for rideshare on the Uber and Lyft platforms. I lost a year of eligibility thanks to Covid-19 killing the rideshare industry. I have been looking into options for what my next gig vehicle could be. The ideal choice is a Tesla. But, let’s be realistic. In any case, I also want it to be eligible for higher tiers of Uber’s services.
I wondered how much more Uber Black pays than Uber X. Since 2015, I’ve primarily driven rideshare using Toyota Priuses (I’m on my third). And the Uber X tier is very saturated with drivers. I think I can earn more with Uber Black. To my surprise, the difference between the two pays was significant.
Uber Black Vs Uber X: What’s The Difference?
Uber X is the most popular way to ride with Uber. To qualify for Uber X, you need a car that’s ten years old (or newer) and can seat four passengers. Most sedans like Ford Fusion, Kia Optima, and Toyota Prius will be eligible. The car needs to be in good mechanical shape and can pass the Uber Vehicle Inspection.
On the other hand, Uber Black is a luxury service. The requirements for this tier are much more complicated. According to Uber, here are the criteria:
Trip criteria:
Drivers must complete a minimum of 100 trips on UberX, UberPool, or UberXL to be eligible for Uber Black.
Rating criteria:
It would be ideal if you had a 4.85 or above driver rating. Your most recent 500 rated trips are what form the rating.
Vehicle criteria:
The vehicle must be a qualifying Uber Black and/or Uber Black SUV vehicle.
It is on the Uber website, but it’s oversimplified. There’s more.
For Uber Black:
- The car needs to be a sedan, crossover SUV or full-size SUV.
- It must have a black exterior.
- And on the inside, it must have a leather or vegan leather interior. We’re talking luxury vehicles like Acuras, Audis, BMWs, and Mercedes-Benz.
- You will need a commercial driver’s license or CDL.
- Must be commercially insured.
- As a driver, you must have a Transportation Charter Party Carrier permit (TCP). In most cities, you will need an airport permit as well.
Okay. That sounds like a lot of “extra.” Is the pay worth those requirements?
How Much More Does Uber Black Pay Compare To Uber X?
It’s hard to pinpoint how much you can make with rideshare. Every source of information on this topic will tell you it depends on your market. And various blogs and rideshare websites have old news that I could not verify with Uber’s website because prices and pay models keep changing.
On the Uber price estimate webpage, you can check how much Uber Black pays compared to Uber X in San Francisco for a 13-mile trip which takes about 16-22 minutes without traffic.
The minimum fare for Uber X is $7.20. The booking fee is $2.20. And it cost $1.60 per mile.
However, Uber Black has a minimum fare of $15.00. No booking fee. And it costs $3.81 per mile. That’s more than double the rate of Uber X.
Notice, it doesn’t tell you the booking fee for Uber Black. But I dug into it, and in Canada, it’s $8.75 currently. It used to be $8.00. Hyrecar also cites $8.00 for this booking fee. I think it’s reasonable to say $8.00. That’s more than three and a half times as much as Uber X.
So the per-mile cost is more than double, and the booking fee is more than triple.
Comparing An Average Uber Black And Uber X Ride
Let’s make a simple comparison.
Imagine two drivers are going 35 mph to the same destination from the exact pick-up location.
One is Uber X, and the other is Uber Black. According to Sherpashare, the average Uber trip is 5.41 miles.
Without Time Rate
For now, let’s ignore the cost per minute the rider is in the car. Partly because it ranges too much from various sources, and I do not know the exact current rate for San Francisco. And because Uber didn’t provide it in the table above (if you drive in SF and know this actual rate, please let me know, and I’ll update).
Okay, that said, let’s graph it:
For the average ride, Uber Black will earn over two and a half times as much if you ignore the cost per minute for the ride, of course.
With Time Rate
What happens when we include that? Sources I found said it’s $0.40 on average for Uber X and ranges from $0.97 to $3.33 for Uber Black. Let’s use the low end of $0.97 in our comparison.
The result is Uber Black pays about two and a half times more money than Uber X for an average 5.41-mile ride.
Conclusion
To sum up, Uber Black will pay more than Uber X, considering the additional requirements and higher fare rates. Expect to make twice as much if you’re shopping for a new luxury model car to use for Uber Black.
One bonus is fewer drivers competing with you. After all, there are strict vehicle requirement and extra compliances such as registration, insurance, and commercial licensing. Although, this also means more cost. You’ll likely have to pay hundreds of dollars to meet these requirements and monthly for the luxury vehicle payments.
Driving for Uber Black only makes sense if you’ll still take home a nice profit after those costs. Depending on your markets, that might not always be the best option. In markets like California, New York, or Washington D.C., it might make more sense. That’s where there are lots of high-profile individuals (businesses, politicians, and celebrities) who might pay more for rideshare.
And I’m not entirely sure where I am; it’s justifiable.
