RIDEGURU
Chris Hawes (chawes)
Ride Guru from Boston, MA
CTO of RideGuru, tech expert & enthusiast
756 Rider GuruChris has been involved with the Taxi industry since co-founding TaxiFareFinder.com in 2007, and has been an avid follower of the rideshare industry since its inception. An expert in full-stack web design and development, Chris oversees all the technical aspects of Unleashed's innovative products.
Activity
Posts by chawes
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How to keep your car safe during COVID
Check it out, some smart people figured out how to make airflow in your car safest for avoiding getting germs … -
Due To New California Law, Uber Allows Some Drivers To Set Their Own Rates
Whoahttps://www.npr.org/2020/01/28/800437791/due-to-new-california-law-uber-allows-some-drivers-to-set-their-own-rates?utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR25AV1xVIyT5ykvB3lF6EcC8thYJ4pf4BX2pBKCOZmGCZV8isrR5a_-KOU -
Uber: The ride-hailing app that says it has ‘zero’ drivers
Reality distortion field...Uber contract drivers helped bring in more than three-quarters of the company’s revenue in this year’s first … -
Bird raises new funding at a $2.5 billion valuation, thanks to longer-lasting scooters
Lot of cash for a company that can't turn a profit......That may have something to do with grim reports … -
Inside the new Uber: Weak coffee, vanishing perks and fast-deflating morale [Washington Post]
It's official. Uber has gone from hip startup to boring big company.https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/09/30/inside-new-uber-weak-coffee-vanishing-perks-fast-deflating-morale/Sounds like morale is pretty low among … -
Inside Uber’s plan to take over city life with CEO Dara Khosrowshahi
https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/26/20885185/uber-ceo-dara-khosrowshahi-interview-exclusiveIt’s an ambitious play to become the de facto transportation and delivery service in every major city. But the … -
New York City’s first self-driving shuttle service is now open for business
https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/6/20755163/new-york-city-self-driving-shuttle-serviceMuch like other autonomous vehicle (AV) shuttle services that have cropped up in recent years across the country, it … -
Woman gives birth in back of taxi. Driver is cool.
Warning: graphic. Can anyone top this??? -
The Uber for helicopters is now Uber
This pricing doesn't seem that bad. Getting from Manhattan to JFK can be a nightmare. Helicopter in 8 minutes? Where … -
As was predicted, Uber’s IPO means you’ll be paying higher fares for your rides
This article nicely sums up what I think a lot of us were already thinking.As we’ve reported before, Uber's … -
The future of the gig economy...
Is this it? LOL -
Uber rang in its IPO with champagne and mimosas. Then the hangover began.
You just can't teach an old dog new tricks, can you.SAN FRANCISCO — Uber shut down a party at … -
Beijing Taxi Trajectories
Check out this cool visualization of a day of taxi trips in Beijing. Talk about busy huh! Click on the … -
Four reasons Uber’s IPO stalled on Friday
So the Uber IPO is a huge dud, surprising exactly no one (especially after Lyft's weak performance since it's IPO). … -
Uber and Lyft stop hiring new drivers in New York City
NYC's new regulation around rideshares is officially doing its job now, for better or for worse. Uber and Lyft have … -
Electric scooters may not be around for long [The Verge]
The article is light, but watch the video for more detail.The fundamental numbers don’t really add up because scooters … -
Lyft becomes the first ride-hail company to go public, beating Uber
Welp, here it is folks.https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/1/18246328/lyft-ipo-ride-share-bikes-scooters-uber-public-secI am surprised to see how much Lyft's market share has increased in the … -
Uber and Lyft reportedly giving some drivers cash bonuses to use towards buying IPO stock
So, would you buy the IPO, or just pocket the cash? I know what I'd do...The two programs are … -
Uber Exploring Autonomous Bikes and Scooters [TechCrunch]
Pretty wild. Scooters that can drive themselves to their charging stations, and redistribute themselves to wherever they are needed. So … -
Uber Is Headed for a Crash [nymag]
Interesting read. How long can Uber survive hemorrhaging money?Uber’s investors have been buying your satisfaction in the form of …
Featured Answers by chawes
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Ok since a few people have wondered about this:
How much does it cost to charge a scooter? Less than you might think. Just to run some rough numbers:
The scooter batteries' capacities are reported to be about 8800mAh at 36V. We can convert this to watt hours: 8800 * 36 / 1000 = 316.8Wh
Electricity costs on average of 12 cents per kilowatt hour (ie. 1000 watt hours) in the US. So, the cost of charging one of these scooters from empty is going to be something like:
(316.8 / 1000) * 12 = 4 cents
It's probably a bit more than that since chargers are not 100% efficient. And, the cost of electricity varies between different locations, so take this with a grain of salt. But it's safe to say the electricity cost of charging these things is not something to worry much about.
I don't think lighted signs really help. It's an inferior solution to the one that already exists: check the make/model/color and license plate # when the car pulls up! Uber and Lyft both make this information readily available in the app.
This bill has its heart in the right place, but I think the effort would be better spent on a public service campaign to get people into the habit of checking the car info when it pulls up.
As LG-PA pointed out lighted signs are easily spoofed.
FWIW, at RideGuru we are actively working on adding more limo companies to our fare calculator. We have found that advanced booking is a point of anxiety for many users, and it's a service that limo companies fill perfectly well.
Many limo companies offer APIs with quotes for airport rides (etc), which means we can offer accurate pricing. For the near term we will send you to their website where you can book the ride through them. Longer term, we hope to actually offer booking directly through RideGuru.
Look for it on our fare calculator over the next few months as we roll these out bit by bit throughout the world.
Having said that, in most places now we already offer links to limo companies on our fare calculator, where you can at least see what's available in the area and then go to their website for a firm quote. You will see cards like this in those cases:
Happy scheduling!
$250 a weekend seems really steep. You can buy a brand new car and have a monthly payment around there. Or lower.
If you lease a car it would be even lower but I assume most lease agreements would prohibit rideshare driving. Even if they didn't you'd blow through the mileage limit super quick.
If there was a way to book limos in advance via an app (that is, a guaranteed booking), as easily as Uber, would you use it?
Upvote for seinfeld. 20+ years later still funny and relevant.
I'm curious how phlatbed is going. Where are you seeing the most usage? I'm past the stage in my life when I'm moving a lot and would really use this, but when I was in my 20s it would have been really useful.
Ok since a few people have wondered about this:
How much does it cost to charge a scooter? Less than you might think. Just to run some rough numbers:
The scooter batteries' capacities are reported to be about 8800mAh at 36V. We can convert this to watt hours: 8800 * 36 / 1000 = 316.8Wh
Electricity costs on average of 12 cents per kilowatt hour (ie. 1000 watt hours) in the US. So, the cost of charging one of these scooters from empty is going to be something like:
(316.8 / 1000) * 12 = 4 cents
It's probably a bit more than that since chargers are not 100% efficient. And, the cost of electricity varies between different locations, so take this with a grain of salt. But it's safe to say the electricity cost of charging these things is not something to worry much about.
Nice website. I am definitely curious on the cost of electricity to charge these. Obviously the cost will vary depending on where you are, but just a general idea. I pay my electric bill each month but I really have no idea how much it would cost me to juice one of these things up... $1? $5? Anyone have a rough idea?
Because FOMO. Fear of Missing Out... On losing your money 😂
Awesome idea. The vehicle page is a good idea. Maybe you don't always have to really check... I feel like most of the time you will be able to tell if someone is trying to scam you. If you spot cheerios on the back seat, probably not an uber driver. Or screaming kids for that matter. Fewer than two phone mounts is cause for suspicion as well 😀
I wouldn't want to ride in this... I want to drive it... Taking that uber would be the biggest letdown in the history of ubers.
<rant rant rant rant rant rant> NOW SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE RIDE
His t-shirt was a cry for help.
Wow, congrats to you!!
What is the point of this?? I thought the purpose of surge pricing was to encourage drivers to go to areas that need more drivers. Now that incentive is gone. So this seems like a boneheaded move on Uber's part!
I'm pretty sure this menu qualifies as the "trying too hard ride" already! 😀
j/k. this guy is clever.
This is funny and all, but I hope he doesn't actually hand this menu to his pax... I mean, imagine, you are running late for a meeting, just want to get where you are going, and now you are presented with this... thing, and have to awkwardly make a choice, LOL 😂
Yep. This.
Ok, I mean, I saw that movie, but I would still have no freaking idea who she was if I bumped into her on the street.
Does it make me old that I have no idea who this is?
Hahaha yeah that's right. I forgot about the threats of bad fortune involved.