Uber Teams Up With Hayleys to Push Drivers Into EVs — Smart Move or Risk?

Uber has announced an exclusive tie-up with Hayleys Mobility so Uber drivers can buy or lease a Hayleys EV straight through the Uber app, with financing and the charging side bundled in. The pitch is lower running costs per kilometre than petrol or hybrid, since electricity is cheaper than fuel and the deal is aimed squarely at people who drive all day, not weekend owners. But full-day ride-hailing is brutal on any vehicle: charging stops eat into earning hours that a petrol top-up wouldn't, resale value on these newer Chinese EV brands here is still unproven, and a driver financed through the same group that sold the car has little room to walk away if the numbers don't work out. Supporters say this is exactly how Sri Lanka's EV shift should happen — through the highest-mileage drivers first, where the fuel savings add up fastest. Critics say it looks great in a press release until someone's stuck mid-fare hunting for a charger, or holding a loan on a car with no local resale market in three years. If you drive for Uber or PickMe, would you take this deal? What's your actual cost per kilometre right now, petrol or hybrid versus what an EV would really save you? ඔයාගේ දවසේ ගාස්තුවෙන් ඉතුරු වෙන්නේ පෙට්‍රල් එකෙන්ද, EV එකෙන්ද?