WhatsAppWhat are the benefits of hybrid PCO car hire?
Finding an appropriate vehicle for private hire work is one of the most important things to get right when you’re first getting set up. You want something that’s reliable, comfortable, professionally appropriate, and, importantly, something that’s affordable.
In many cases, the best option will be to hire a hybrid PCO car. Below, we break down the main benefits associated with hybrid PCO car hire, looking specifically at the benefits of hybrid vehicles and then of the PCO hire model.
Hybrid benefits
There are a few important benefits to using a hybrid vehicle over either electric or internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
Excellent fuel efficiency
As a private hire driver, you could find yourself driving up to around 75,000 miles a year. Over that kind of mileage, the difference in operating costs that just a few extra MPG fuel efficiency can make to your take-home pay can be profound.
Hybrid vehicles can offer exceptional fuel efficiency across a wide variety of driving conditions, often well over 70 mpg in real-world driving conditions.
Whether you’re using the electric motor in standstill traffic or the internal combustion engine on the motorway for airport runs, you can be sure that you’re spending as little on fuel as possible.
Extended range
Hybrid vehicles offer exceptional range – often over 600 miles when considering both the fuel tank and electric battery. As a result, you won’t need to stop to refuel during your shifts, and won’t have any forced downtime.
If you do have the time, or just want a break, you can often find somewhere to recharge the battery via a fast charger, to maximise electric-only driving and save a little more on fuel.
Comfortable ride
When driving in stop-start traffic in particular, an internal combustion engine doesn’t offer the most comfortable ride option. With a hybrid vehicle, you can use the electric motor to provide a much more comfortable experience, for both you and your passengers.
The engine in a lot of modern hybrids will even turn itself off in slow traffic, resulting in a quieter, more comfortable cabin.
Best of both worlds
Ultimately, hybrids provide the best of both EVs and vehicles with internal combustion engines, but with fewer of the downsides of each. You get low running costs and all of the ride-related benefits of an electric vehicle, but with the range and refuelling flexibility of a traditional car.
Reliability
Due to the fact that hybrids aren’t fully reliant on an internal combustion engine, you’ll often find that they break down less frequently, and require less maintenance.
While electric motors do have their own reliability-related issues, there are practically no moving parts compared to ‘traditional’ engines, resulting in much fewer operational complications overall.
PCO car hire benefits
There are also a number of benefits associated with hiring, rather than buying, your hybrid vehicle.
Flexibility
When you use a PCO car hire service, one of the main benefits is how flexible these kinds of solutions are. You can opt for a short-term contract that you can cancel at any time, or a longer contract with a lower cost per week if you know you want the vehicle for a longer time.
Whether you’re just starting as a private hire driver or only need a vehicle for a short period of time while yours gets fixed, it can be a great solution to keep you on the road and working.
Given that many people choose to work as a private hire driver for the added flexibility in the first place, this benefit can often be enough to sway drivers in this direction.
Low economic barrier to entry
Unlike buying a car, with PCO car hire, there is a very low economic barrier to entry. You just need to be able to afford the first rental instalment – a week or so – and potentially a small deposit.
If you do want to buy a car in the future, these solutions mean that you can access a reliable income to allow you to save up. What’s more, some PCO car hire contracts have an option that allows you to buy the vehicle at the end of your contract, sometimes well below market value.
No personal risk of depreciation
It’s common knowledge that buying a new car is one of the worst investments you can make. The second you drive it off the dealership lot, the car will often lose between 10 to 20% of its value, with that increasing to around 30% by the end of the first year of usage.
When you hire your hybrid, you don’t have to worry about that. You make your regular payments, and so long as those allow you to make enough money to live comfortably, any depreciation-related issues are for the car hire company to be concerned about.
Less admin
One of the most attractive benefits of hiring, rather than buying your hybrid PCO work-vehicle, is that the majority of the administrative side of things will be taken care of for you as part of the package.
The vehicle should come fully licensed, with the appropriate insurance and vehicle checks already carried out. As part of the contract, the hire company will often also agree to take care of vehicle maintenance and repair as well.
Should your vehicle be unavailable for use during these checks or repairs, the hire company will often provide you with a vehicle in the interim, to keep you on the road and earning. This can substantially reduce the stress associated with having to source your own vehicle, deal with insurers and find an available mechanic.
For the vast majority of private hire drivers, hybrid PCO car hire will often be the best option. You gain access to a reliable, professionally suitable vehicle with low running costs, and don’t have to take care of the often stressful administrative side of things. With some contracts, you’ll also be able to switch vehicles every now and then, until you’ve gotten your hands on a car that perfectly suits your driving requirements.