An Uber driver says she ditched her Toyota for a Tesla because her Camry cost $600 a week to fuel compared with $450 for leasing and charging a Model 3

• Uber driver Heidi Barnes told Bloomberg she pays $450 a week to lease and charge her Tesla Model 3.
• She said she switched to the Tesla because it was costing her $600 a week to fuel her 2009 Toyota Camry.

An Uber driver said she ditched her Toyota for a Tesla because her Camry cost $600 a week to fuel compared with $450 for renting and charging a Model 3.

Heidi Barnes, 34, told Bloomberg her Model 3 cost $450 a week once charging costs were added to the $344-a-week lease deal, representing a $150-a-week saving on the Camry's fuel costs alone.

Fuel prices have been rising globally, in part due to the war in Ukraine, and US prices have also been impacted by falling levels of domestic oil production. The average price of gas surged above $5 a gallon in June, according to the American Automobile Association.

Barnes told Bloomberg that a full tank of gas for her Camry had shot up from $60 to $100. She added: "It was a huge push to get in a Tesla sooner rather than later."

The number of Uber drivers using Teslas rose by 186% between June 2021 and May 2022, Bloomberg reported, citing statistics from Gridwise.

Uber drivers who have completed more than 150 trips and have a rating of at least 4.7 out of 5 can lease a Tesla for $334 a week, including insurance, maintenance, and unlimited miles, as part of a deal the firm signed with the rental company Hertz in October 2021.

The average price Americans paid for EVs surged 22% in the year to May, partly due to the rising cost of raw materials needed to make batteries. Americans paid on average $54,000 for an EV in May, compared with $44,000 a year before.