Uber has released a handy guide to its New Year’s Eve surge pricing, showing when demand for rides tends to peak and when it bottoms out. The car hailing service anticipates a record-breaking surge in demand this New Year’s Eve, expecting up to 2 million rides within a 24-hour period.
Uber’s surge pricing, which can drastically increase the cost of getting a lift, kicks in automatically during times of high demand to incentivize more drivers to get on the road.
“On New Year’s Eve, everyone is looking for rides at exactly the same times,” Uber wrote in an official blog post. “We expect the highest demand—and fares—between 12:30 and 2:30 AM. For the most affordable rides, request right when the ball drops at midnight or wait until later for prices to return to normal.”
Uber also charted its expected demand over the course of nine hours, revealing sweet spots for early birds and night owls:
The rest of the ridership can always consent to the fare hike and then rant about it on Twitter, in keeping with what’s become a veritable New Year’s tradition.
See Uber Protests From Around the World
French Taxi drivers burn tires as they protest in the southern city of Marseille on June 25, 2015 as they demonstrate against UberPOP, a popular taxi app that is facing fierce opposition from traditional cabs. Anne-Christine Poujoulat—AFP/Getty ImagesPolice officers in riot gear attempt to flip a car back onto it's wheels at Porte Maillot on June 25, 2015 in Paris. Protesters blocked roads to airports and train stations, overturning cars and setting tires on fire.Guillaume de Senneville—Demotix/CorbisHundreds of taxi drivers gather next to the Olympia Stadium to protest ride-sharing apps on June 11, 2014 in Berlin.Sean Gallup—Getty ImagesA demonstrator kicks a car, suspected of being a private taxi during a 24 hour taxi strike and protest in Madrid on June 11, 2014. Paul White—APA taxi driver listens to speeches by his colleagues, during an Europe-wide protest of licensed taxi drivers against taxi hailing apps that are feared to flush unregulated private drivers into the market, in front of the Olympic stadium in Berlin on June 11, 2014. Thomas Peter—ReutersTaxi drivers hold a banner during a protest in Barcelona on June 11, 2014. Josep Lago—AFP/Getty ImagesLondon taxi's line up on The Mall during a protest against a new smart phone app, 'Uber' on June 11, 2014 in London.Dan Kitwood—Getty ImagesTaxi drivers park their cars and honk the horn in protest on Pennsylvania Avenue, bringing street traffic to a stop as they demand an end to ride sharing services such as Uber X and Lyft on June 25, 2014, in Washington.PAUL J. RICHARDS—AFP/Getty ImagesAn Italian taxi driver distributes leaflets reading "Don't take an illegal taxi, take a white regular taxi" during a protest on June 11, 2014 in Rome.ANDREAS SOLARO—AFP/Getty ImagesTaxis drivers block a highway outside Paris, near Roissy on June 11, 2014, as they take part in a demonstration to protest the growing number of minicabs, known in France as Voitures de Tourisme avec Chauffeurs (VTC). Fred Dufour—AFP/Getty Images
