Renting an EV for the First Time

Renting an electric vehicle (EV) for the first time can be intimidating. With uncertainties about which model you'll receive, how far you can travel on a single charge, and the availability of charging stations, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. On a recent trip to Florida, David Fuchs, Business Development Manager at Sawatch Labs, had the opportunity to rent an EV and gain some firsthand experience with the process. In this blog, he talks about the highs and lows of the journey, providing a look at what to expect when renting an EV.

The Experience of Renting an EV

Although I have plenty of experience in the EV industry, this was my first time renting one. Unlike traditional car rentals, where vehicle choices are all about size, with EV rental, the focus is on which model of EV you want to rent. Depending on the model,  EVs come with a variety of range expectations and different charging options. A Nissan Leaf, for example, has an approximate range of 146 miles per charge. When compared to the 347-mile range of a Tesla Model S, it’s easy to see how advanced notice on what model of EV you’ll be getting can make a huge difference.

Luckily, we secured a Tesla Model 3 for our journey. In addition to the greater range a Tesla offers, they also come with a large network of compatible chargers on the road, making planning ahead easier. Unfortunately, the car arrived with only 52% state of charge (SOC) and lacked a cable for at-home charging. When I presented concerns to the car rental attendee, I was told that the charge policy is the same as with ICE vehicles, and the SOC at vehicle return should be the same as it was on departure. The rental agency explained that they do not provide at-home charging cables as a theft-prevention policy.

Planning the Trip

There can be unforeseen variables when renting an EV, tied to when and how often you’ll need to charge which make being a flexible traveler helpful. We rented the EV in Miami, and our destination was 85 miles away in Islamorada. After entering our destination into the EV's navigation system, it projected arrival with a 13% state of charge (SOC). We decided to play it safe and incorporated a mid-trip stop to top off the battery.

Adding a charging station to the route was relatively easy using the vehicle’s navigation system, which we did by adding a stop at a Wawa station en route. My very first charging session was relatively straightforward. I backed the vehicle up to the charging station, hit a few buttons on the display navigation, got out of the vehicle, and plugged in. The charge began immediately, and since we used a Tesla at a Tesla charger, we did not have to download any apps, which can be a requirement with other vehicles and charging networks.

Charging Pit Stop

Unlike gasoline vehicles that refuel in a matter of minutes, charging an EV can take 15 minutes or more. Passing time during a pit stop on a road trip was new to us, and we passed the time playing games on the vehicle display screen and by taking a quick trip into the Wawa convenience store for treats and supplies. The cost of the charge was billed to the rental car company, and the charging experience led us to hold a lively discussion for the rest of our trip about cost efficiency, sustainability, and ICE vs EV.

At $0.49 kWh, the price to charge using a public charging station did not appear to have much of an advantage over a traditional fuel fill-up. We concluded that true EV savings comes from at-home charging, which made the omission of an at-home charging cable sting even more. Luckily, when we arrived at our destination, we found that not only did they have Tesla chargers available on-site, but there was no fee to use them.

Lessons Learned 

My experience renting an EV closely mirrored that of a colleague who rented one in the summer of 2023. She also received a vehicle with around 50% SOC and faced similar challenges planning her trip in advance without any idea what model EV she'd be driving. One take-away we both had was that it would be helpful for car rental agencies to better train employees on EV rentals and establish a set of standards and operating procedures that include better equipping the customer with vehicle and charging information in advance of pick-up.

Renting an EV for a trip requires more planning, especially when traveling long distances. However, as the availability of public infrastructure grows, I expect this to become less of a concern.

With the exception of a few pain points, renting an EV proved to be an enjoyable experience. The vehicle’s quiet idling, smooth acceleration, and responsive handling made driving the Tesla one of the more pleasant experiences I’ve had behind the wheel of an automobile. While adapting to regenerative braking took some getting used to, the overall experience highlighted the unique advantages of electric vehicles. My background in this industry provided me with enough cursory knowledge to know what type of planning needed to occur for our trip, so this experience could be very different for someone without similar context. 

Future of EV Fleets in Rental Agencies

Much like with fleet electrification, incorporating EV fleets into rental agencies must be done with careful planning to ensure success. Mitigating range anxiety will continue to be a main concern in renting EVs, and the agencies that provide customers with peace of mind will be the most likely to find success. Thoughtful planning and standardized practices are crucial to ensuring positive customer experiences, and not doing so can potentially result in poor experiences. However, with improvements in infrastructure and agency policies, EV rentals have the potential to redefine travel experiences and pave the way for a more sustainable future.