I'm taking my daughter on a weekend trip next month, and while I have our flights and accommodations booked, I have only barely had a chance to look into a rental (will probably look deeper and book this weekend). Hertz was the first one I pulled up, just to get an idea of what prices I am in for to start, and at the top of the vehicle selection page were three Teslas.
That got me thinking, the trip would be one where I can see the range of an EV working, and there seems to be a reasonable infrastructure of EV chargers where we are going. We fly in to Toronto Pearson, and our destination is about 130km to the north, a resort on the shores of Lake Huron, where we will probably park the vehicle on arrival, and except for maybe very short trips in the vicinity to go grab junk food and such, the vehicle will be parked most of the time. Sounds like a perfect situation for an EV, so it got me thinking, maybe this is a chance to try one out, and save some money versus having a rental with a gasoline engine. Also a perfect chance to experience one, as I suspect at some point in the future, it will be an inevitable addition to my family fleet.
But, EVs are completely new to me as a driver. What am I in for if I figure out the higher rental cost more than offsets what I would save on gas? There might be a possibility the resort may have EV charging stations available on their property, and I understand some places include this in their accommodation rate, so there is no extra cost to charge. If that isn't the case, I see the whole area is littered with EV charging stations from as close as across the street, including Tesla Superchargers.
It could be a Tesla from Hertz, or maybe some other EV from another agency. I don't know yet, so comments on Teslas specifically, as well as non-Tesla EVs would be helpful.
What I don't really know are:
That got me thinking, the trip would be one where I can see the range of an EV working, and there seems to be a reasonable infrastructure of EV chargers where we are going. We fly in to Toronto Pearson, and our destination is about 130km to the north, a resort on the shores of Lake Huron, where we will probably park the vehicle on arrival, and except for maybe very short trips in the vicinity to go grab junk food and such, the vehicle will be parked most of the time. Sounds like a perfect situation for an EV, so it got me thinking, maybe this is a chance to try one out, and save some money versus having a rental with a gasoline engine. Also a perfect chance to experience one, as I suspect at some point in the future, it will be an inevitable addition to my family fleet.
But, EVs are completely new to me as a driver. What am I in for if I figure out the higher rental cost more than offsets what I would save on gas? There might be a possibility the resort may have EV charging stations available on their property, and I understand some places include this in their accommodation rate, so there is no extra cost to charge. If that isn't the case, I see the whole area is littered with EV charging stations from as close as across the street, including Tesla Superchargers.
It could be a Tesla from Hertz, or maybe some other EV from another agency. I don't know yet, so comments on Teslas specifically, as well as non-Tesla EVs would be helpful.
What I don't really know are:
- Charging. I assume the chargers guide you through the payment process. But, how much can I expect to pay? I know this varies depending on where you are, but even getting an idea from EV drivers of the cost in your local area can help me get an idea. Also, how long does it take? I see Hertz indicates the vehicle must be returned at least 70% charged, so I assume other places will have similar policies. Could this charge up to at least that level be accomplished during a meal/shopping stop on the return trip to the airport?
- Quirks about EVs versus their ICE counterparts. I know that Teslas have plenty of quirks, many unintuitive to those who've never driven one. But what about other EVs from "mainstream" manufacturers of ICE cars?
- Energy consumption. Just how much energy can I expect an EV to use per distance travelled?
- Rental experience. Anyone who's rented one, did you find how things were handled with the rental process from start to finish being different than a mainstream ICE car?
