Want to get paid to charge electric scooters? Yes? Then you’ve come to the right place. Here are some of the best ways to make money charging electric scooters.
In 2018, companies like Bird and Lime were among the first to introduce electric scooters in major cities. Since then, the electric scooter industry has grown rapidly.
Electric scooters are a convenient way to get around cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. However, they’re not yet legal in all states, including New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Georgia.
Electric scooters have gained popularity over the years. You can cash in this opportunity to make extra money. As you might know, electric scooters require charging.
The scooter-sharing companies need independent contractors to locate scooters that need juice, charge them overnight, and release them the next morning. You can become an independent contractor to make money charging electric scooters.
In this post, I’ll explain how charging works, where to find work, and how much money you can make. So, let’s dive in!
How Charging Works?
First of all, you have to apply to become an independent contractor. You must live in a city where the electric scooter companies operate.
To get started, you have to download the app of the scooter company you want to work with. After that, sign up to become a charger or independent contractor. You must provide your personal information and bank account so the company can pay for your services.
You may not be instantly approved if your city has too many chargers. In that case, you’ll be added to the waitlist. Once you’re approved, you’re ready to work as a charger.
You can use the map on the app to locate scooters that need to be charged. You only need to pick up the scooters and bring them to recharge. Sometimes, other independent contractors may pick up the scooter before you. In that case, you have to look for other ones.
The charging process is simple. The scooters come with a charger that plugs into a standard electric outlet. The company may send you three sets of charging supplies, including a wall plug and power brick. You’ll need to keep the scooters plugged in until the charge is complete. The scooters take anywhere from four to six hours to charge.
In the morning, you have to drop off the scooters at their designated locations. You’ll get all the details in the app. After you drop them off, you’ll be paid the full quoted price. Your payout may be reduced if you’re late to release them or with less than 95% battery. Moreover, there’s an incentive to release them early.
Companies That Pay You To Charge Electric Scooters
Now, you know how charging works. It’s time to know where to find charging jobs. Here are some companies that pay you to charge electric scooters.
Bird
Bird used to provide charging jobs. The position used to be known as Bird Flyer. Unfortunately, they don’t hire independent contractors for charging jobs anymore.
Currently, they’re running a fleet program for logistics providers and small businesses interested in making their neighborhoods cleaner, safer, and less congested. You can join as a fleet manager. The job involves managing fleets of Bird e-scooters and e-bikes.
Here are some requirements to join as a fleet manager:
- Access to a warehouse: You’ll need space to store and care for your fleet.
- A large vehicle: You’ll need a large vehicle to carry Birds for deployment, relocation, and collection.
- Experience: You’ll need experience running a business since this isn’t a gig. You’ll be managing your own business.
You can increase payouts by growing ridership and providing a great experience for Bird riders. There are no upfront costs needed.
Lime
Lime is a transportation company that runs electric scooters, bikes, and mopeds in various cities. This company hires individuals, called “Juicers” to collect, charge, and redistribute their electric scooters.
You can join as a juicer for charging jobs. To get started, you have to download the app and sign up as a juicer. After that, you can take the charging jobs provided in the app. Lime will compensate you for each scooter you pick up, charge, and redeploy.
How Much Money Can You Make?
Want to know how much you can make by charging electric scooters? Your earnings will depend on various factors, such as the company you work with and the number of scooters you charge.
Ryan Feldman, a software engineer who used to make money charging scooters reported that he could earn on average $150 a night for both Bird and Lime. He had 50 chargers and could fit up to 45 scooters in his pickup truck. Feldman stopped charging scooters since the payout decreased.
Harry Campbell, founder of The Rideshare Guy has experimented with several side hustles, including charging scooters. He says, chargers used to be able to make a lot more. The pricing structure has changed now. The earnings used to depend on how much juice you put back into the scooter, but now it’s just a flat fee.
He says, it used to be a $5 minimum payout to chargers for each scooter and now the minimum is $3 for Bird.
Therefore, we could say the payout has decreased over the years. You can’t solely rely on scooter-charging jobs for a living.
Pro Tips To Maximize Earnings From Scooter Charging Jobs
You can increase your earnings by utilizing pro tips from experts. Here are some tips to maximize your earnings from scooter charging jobs.
1. Invest in the Right Equipment
You need the right equipment to maximize your earnings by charging scooters. This includes a reliable vehicle to pick up scooters and dropping off at designated locations. And a reliable charger that can handle multiple scooter charging simultaneously.
Investing in high-quality equipment will pay off in the long run if you want to do charging jobs.
2. Research About Pick up Locations
The more scooters you charge, the more money you’ll make. For that reason, you need to pick up scooters as many as possible. However, your competitors might pick up before you.
When collecting scooters for charging, visit areas with more available scooters. It can be popular tourist destinations, universities, or shopping centers.
3. Optimize Your Charging Schedule
You can increase your earnings by optimizing your charging schedule. Many scooter rental companies offer bonuses for charging during off-peak hours. Moreover, you can save electricity costs by charging during off-peak hours.
4. Join Multiple Scooter Rental Companies
It’s better to join multiple scooter rental companies rather than one. It’s because you might not get enough charging jobs from one company. Moreover, you will be able to access a larger pool of scooters to charge by joining multiple scooter rental companies.
Pros and Cons of Scooter Charging Jobs
It may seem to be a convenient gig job to charge electric scooters for companies like Lime and Bird. However, it has some advantages and disadvantages.
Pros:
- Flexible Schedule: You can choose when and how much you want to work.
- Easy to Enroll: There are no extensive qualifications required.
- Extra Income Opportunity: You can make extra money by charging electric scooters.
Cons:
- Investment: You need the right equipment to get started.
- No Nationwide Job: Electric scooters are not legal in all states. Therefore, charging jobs are not available in all cities.
- Inconsistent Income: This job income is inconsistent due to the availability of scooters to charge and fluctuating rates.
- Competition: There is competition to charge scooters in areas with many chargers. Also, you’ll be on the waitlist if there are too many chargers in your area.
Scooter Charger Job Alternative
Electric scooters have gained popularity over the years. It’s a convenient way to get around the cities. However, many cities haven’t legalized electric scooters yet. Moreover, cities are creating laws severely limiting the success of e-scooters.
Electric scooter charging jobs are deflating day by day. It’s because of stiff competition. Moreover, electric charging jobs are available in certain cities. It’s not a nationwide job opportunity. For that reason, you need a scooter charger job alternative.
LoadUp is hiring trust-worthy, professional, and dedicated independent contractors interested in a unique opportunity to start their own business as a junk removal hauler or assembly and labor handyman. You can join the LoadUp’s loader program to earn money as your own business.
They provide actual jobs with upfront earnings. It offers a flexible job schedule. You can accept jobs on the side or start your own junk business. It operates in all 50 states across the United States.
You’ll need the right type of vehicle(s) to perform the job efficiently, such as:
- Full-Sized Cargo Van
- 16′- 26′ Box Truck
- Mini Dump Truck
- Utility Trailer
- Enclosed Trailer
- Dump Trailer
To get started, you have to download the app and sign up to be a loader. You can view available jobs, details, locations, and upfront prices in the app. You can only take jobs that fit your schedule. You’ll get paid every week. According to LoadUp, a single vehicle Loaders can make up to $2,000 per week.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, you can make extra money by charging scooters for Bird and Lime. However, the companies have decreased payout for charging scooters. For that reason, many chargers stopped doing this job.
You can opt for the scooter charging job if you love fun and adventure. Otherwise, it’s not a perfect job for living anymore.
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