Watching a luxury car on the road may have tempted you to get one for yourself. If you’re in the PHV business or thinking of becoming a rideshare driver, renting or getting a luxury PCO car will offer many conveniences to make your job pleasant, easy, and even profitable.
In a busy city like London that’s filled with premium taxis and ridesharing services, offering unique value to your passengers can help you get ahead of the competition. People love riding in luxury cars and don’t mind paying a premium for it. If you’re still wondering if it’s worth getting a premium car during today’s inflation, the answer is yes. Here’s why.
Business Development Opportunities
As an Uber driver, your car is like your website or profile that represents your business. It helps you establish a brand and create a good impression on your passengers. Nowadays, the competition for Uber and other rideshare drivers is getting intense, especially in London. Many platforms are offering ride-hailing services, offering a wide range of options to passengers. Having a luxury car will help you distinguish yourself from other drivers and get more rides every day.
You can also benefit from premium and surge prices when driving a luxury car because it can qualify for Uber Exec, Lux, and other categories. This way, you can earn more money with fewer rides.
Satisfied Customers = Better Ratings
Despite cost-effectiveness being a crucial factor, many passengers prefer quality and luxury. Getting a better experience and safer rides is why people opt for ridesharing platforms over regular taxis and public transport. So why not offer it the right way with a premium car?
Most premium cars come with exciting features that help you offer excellent customer service. These features include chargers, effective heaters and air conditioners, music players, GPS tracking, compatibility with AI like Amazon Alexa or Apple CarPlay, and many other entertainment options. As a result, your passengers will give you a 5-star rating, ultimately increasing your chances of getting more customers.
Environmental Friendliness
Eco-friendliness is no longer a choice; it has become a necessity. Like any petrol-driven vehicle, rideshare cars also majorly contribute to hazardous carbon emissions in London, increasing air pollution. To combat air pollution and protect the environment, the UK government is setting rules and regulations to discourage people from using petrol and diesel vehicles. Transport for London imposes different charges such as ULEZ and Congestion charges as well as penalties. When getting a premium car, you’ll have the option to choose an electric vehicle to avoid all these issues.
Besides avoiding penalties and extra charges, you can also reduce your carbon footprint with a premium EV. These cars help you eliminate any emissions, enjoy many energy-efficient features, and save money on fuel. Due to their increased demands, you can find many free charging stations around the city.
Comfort for Drivers
Being a rideshare driver isn’t as easy as it seems. Most people think of it as just driving around town and earning money, but in reality, you face many inconveniences. Typically, people make sure to have ergonomic, productive, and modern office spaces to give their best. Similarly, your car is your office, and it needs to be comfortable enough to spend most of your day in it.
With a luxury car, you get to ride in comfortable seats with enough legroom. You don’t have to worry about your phone’s battery running out, the unpredictable weather in London, or the car breaking down in the middle of your ride. These things may seem small but have a huge impact on the quality of your professional life. You feel less burnt out, stay motivated to take more rides, and serve your customers in a better mood.
Modern Safety Features
There’s nothing more important than the safety of our lives. While car incidents are inevitable, having adequate safety features can keep you and your passengers safe. One of the major reasons for getting a premium car is to get many modern safety features that prevent accidents even before they happen. Here are some of these features that you might get:
360 Degree Vision
360-degree vision offers a bird’s eye view of your car’s surroundings to offer better visibility. If your car doesn’t have this, it will have a rear-vision camera and parking sensors to let you know about your surroundings. 360-degree vision helps you navigate tight spaces (like during traffic) or obstacles with ease.
Adaptive Cruise Control
Adaptive cruise control helps during long-distance trips. It uses camera and radar modules to adjust the cruising speed so you can stay in line with traffic flow.
Night Vision
Night vision helps you get better visibility in the dark so you can watch out for animals, pedestrians, and vehicles on the road.
Airbags
Most cars have front and side airbags, but premium cars offer centre airbags that offer increased safety to the driver and passengers. Regardless of their position, airbags prevent head injuries during a side impact or rollover crash.
Lane Assistance
Lane assistance systems help drivers stay in the lane. It directs your vehicle for a slight steering adjustment or braking so it doesn’t collide with another vehicle.
Blind Spot Warning
Bling spot warning helps you when you’re changing lanes on the road. They offer an audible and visual alert when another vehicle is in a blind spot, preventing crashes.
Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
An AEB system is a must-have safety feature for your car. It uses camera-based sensors to identify the closing speeds of other vehicles around you and automatically applies brakes when needed. You may find the AEB system in many standard cars, but premium cars use better technology that prevents collisions and accidents.
Reduced Operational Costs
If you want to earn a good income with a ridesharing business, your operational costs need to be low. Many drivers end up spending way more than they make on their car’s maintenance and repairs. A new premium car is less likely to incur maintenance costs and stays on the road for a longer time. Besides costs, an old and inefficient car will also waste a lot of your valuable time. Your PCO car must be on the road so you can earn your target income.
The lack of fuel and conventional parts make premium electric cars low maintenance. You don’t have to get regular repairs for engines and transmissions or take it for frequent oil changes. Premium cars eliminate the hassles of upkeep and offer a smooth and seamless experience to the user.
Some Premium (Yet Affordable) Cars to Consider for PCO
Not all premium and reliable cars have to put a dent in your wallet. You can get many luxurious options that are worth the expense. Another thing to make sure of when investing in a car for PCO is to get all the necessary features. Below we have listed some premium cars that work great as private hire vehicles.
Toyota Prius
Toyota Prius is the most preferred Uber car in London. It offers reliability, durability, fuel efficiency, and many other benefits to make your business profitable.
Kia e-Niro
Kia e-Niro is a fully electric car that comes with many exciting safety and convenience features. It’s one of the most loved electric cars for PCO that offers strong performance, impressive range, and comfortable ride.
Nissan Leaf
Nissan Leaf is another great electric car that has ample space, great range, and many other benefits. Most PCO drivers use this car to enjoy its practicality, performance, and unmatched comfort.
Toyota Prius Plus
If you want a spacious 7-seater car for your PCO rides without sacrificing luxury and comfort, Toyota Prius Plus is a great option. The car offers various seating combinations and loading options, perfect for airport or family trips. Besides providing additional space, this car uses an advanced Lithium-ion battery pack.
Mustang Mach E
Ford’s Mustang Mach-E is a compact crossover SUV with a user-friendly layout and sleek design. It’s also fully electric and has great range, handling, and acceleration capabilities.
Rent a Premium Car to Save Money
If buying a premium car for PCO seems like an unnecessary commitment, you can easily rent your favourite car from us. G&M Direct Hire offers all the above-discussed cars, along with many others, at affordable rental prices and flexible options. Our PCO car hire contract is only for 4 weeks, and all vehicles have comprehensive insurance.
Renting a car from us liberates you from the costs of maintenance and servicing. Our team will book maintenance appointments at our qualified service centres whenever needed to keep your car on the road. In addition, we also offer support during penalties, incidents, or other issues.
All our luxury PCO cars charge market-competitive rents. For example, you can rent a Toyota Prius for £150 per week and a Kia e-Niro for £220 per week. We don’t charge any hidden or surprise fees, just the rent and deposit. Contact us for details or explore our rental cars here.