Let’s compare the costs of buying a second-hand BMW 3 series and a Tesla Model 3 (Diesel vs Electric) Uber driver edition. In this article, we will compare the purchase and running costs if they were being used for Uber / Taxi driving. In this example, we are going to keep the car for 2 years, do approximately 80,000 miles, and see which cost the least in two years.
Heading into 2025, electric cars are slowly replacing diesel cars, and we thought it would be interesting to compare the two vehicles if they were used as Uber cars. Let’s ignore similar expenses that both would need, like Insurance, Valets, Tires, Maintenance, Private hire licenses, etc.
Electric cars are renowned for depreciating a lot quicker than diesel but second hand they have already depreciated and now you can get yourself an electric car at a bargain price. Tesla is a premium brand but their budget car is the Model 3 so that is why we have compared it to a BMW 3 series and not a 5 series.
Purchasing Second-hand Costs:
Purchasing, we looked on auto trader for a similar mileage car and age.
BMW 3 Series: £11,995
Tesla Model 3: £13.444
BMW is slightly older but Telsa is more expensive but nowhere near as much new, depending on spec this pricing can differ it’s just an example that they are pretty similarly priced secondhand.
Servicing Costs:
Secondhand BMW can be serviced at a back street garage, BMW themselves or buying parts and the driver does it themselves. Most Uber drivers get their car serviced every 10k miles, look after your car and the car will look after you. In this example, the service cost of £150 could seem a fair average, at every 10,000 miles would cost £1200 over the two years and 80,000 miles.
Secondhand Tesla doesn’t need servicing, you can get the cabin filter replaced and maybe a once over at the Tesla garage for around £150. So total cost over the two years and 80,000 miles is £150.
Maintenance Costs:
Maintenance is a big one and can’t put a figure on it because both cars could go the next two years and 80,000 miles without an issue, but I would like to point out there is a lot less to go wrong with an electric car the main issues to have are the tires, suspension, batteries and electric motors. Even the brake pads and disks hardly get used due to the battery regen slowing the car instead of the brakes.
Not going to list all the things to go wrong with diesel cars but there is a lot more than an electric car to name a few, tires, suspension, engine, brakes, clutch, gearbox, glowplugs, DPF, drive belts, emissions, oil, alternators, overheating, injectors, knox sensors, exhaust systems.
Electric / Diesel Costs:
Diesel: An online calculator using the following figures:
The average MPG of the BMW is 46mpg, The Diesel cost of this article is £1.40 per liter and 80,000 miles over the two years would cost: £11,000 this figure would go up or down depending on whether the diesel is from supermarket pumps or motorway services.
Electric car charging from home is super cheap and some rapid chargers are more expensive than probably the above BMW but you need to get an electric car that lasts your full Uber shift and home charge on a decent night tariff from an example Octopus Energy. I asked a lot of Uber drivers with an electric car and they all said they don’t use rapid charges at all unless a very rare long-trip job.
On average a Tesla Model 3 costs £0.02 per mile charged on a night tariff of £0.07p per kwh. Home charging costs for 80,000 miles over the next two years would cost £1600 which can go up or down depending on how much you use rapid chargers.
Car Tax Costs:
As of the date of this article, electric cars don’t pay car tax or luxury car tax but as of April 2025, all electric cars will have to pay road tax of £190 per year which is currently the same as how much the BMW 3 series costs. In April 2025 when the electric cars have to pay £190 all other car tax bands go up as well. Currently, the Tesla Model 3 is £0 and the BMW 3 series costs £190.
Total Costs:
In the end, all the costs added up, two years being used as an Uber driver car driving 80,000 miles the total costs below:
BMW: Purchase: £11,995. Servicing: £1200. Tax: £380. Diesel: £11,000. Total £24,575.
Tesla: Purchase: £13,444. Servicing: £0. Tax: £0. Electric: £1600. Total: £15,044.
Things to note:
This article is focused on the costs, and as an Uber driver that is very important, the more miles you drive in the electric car more money you save, now would like to add there is a lot more things to go wrong with the BMW and less with the Tesla but if the electric motor or batteries fail in the Tesla it would be a big cost being outside of Warranty. Owning a Tesla can be great but also can be a bit more tricky, long journeys need a bit more planning, etc but not having to go to a petrol station on a daily or weekly basis is a dream.
An electric car is not for everyone and is very situational the main saving factor going into 2025 is the electric home charging, if you do a lot of miles per day or you can’t charge at home you may be better off in the BMW.
