Rental Car - Electric or Automatic?

[cocobeauty]

Going out of town and when booking rental car, the Electric is a lot cheaper. I’m also in the market for a new car so thought this would be a good way to see how it works but for some reason I’m nervous.

So questions:

1. Average cost to charge?
2. How do I know I’m charging correctly?
3. How long does a single full charge last?

Initially I was going to Lyft but I figured for $108 for the rental for 3 days isn’t that bad. Although I’m sure the hold on my Amex may be more. Oh and the trip is to Arizona.

 

[RoomService]

Going out of town and when booking rental car, the Electric is a lot cheaper. I’m also in the market for a new car so thought this would be a good way to see how it works but for some reason I’m nervous.

So questions:

1. Average cost to charge?
2. How do I know I’m charging correctly?
3. How long does a single full charge last?

Initially I was going to Lyft but I figured for $108 for the rental for 3 days isn’t that bad. Although I’m sure the hold on my Amex may be more. Oh and the trip is to Arizona.

You’re probably not going to want to hear this, but Tesla is going to be your best option as far as EV rentals and charging are concerned.

What state will you be leaving from, or will you just be driving around Arizona?

Depending on where you’re going in Arizona, there are plenty of charging stations available for you to charge your vehicle—especially if it’s a Tesla.

If you have the Amex Platinum, make sure you add the rental car insurance with that card. It’s $20 per rental, but they only charge you if you leave the rental on your Platinum card. If you use a different card when you return the car, that $20 is not charged. It gives you full coverage without having to use your personal insurance for small things like scratches or minor incidents.

You have to call Amex to add the rental insurance—it’s not automatic. It costs $20 per rental, covers up to 30–60 consecutive days, and usually works with any Amex card (but I’d call to confirm).

Insurance - Premium Car Rental Protection | American Express US

Receive up to $75,000 or $100,000, depending on selected plan, of theft or damage primary coverage when you enroll in Premium Car Rental Protection with an Eligible Card. Learn More Today.

www.americanexpress.com

 

[cocobeauty]

You’re probably not going to want to hear this, but Tesla is going to be your best option as far as EV rentals and charging are concerned.

What state will you be leaving from, or will you just be driving around Arizona?

Depending on where you’re going in Arizona, there are plenty of charging stations available for you to charge your vehicle—especially if it’s a Tesla.

If you have the Amex Platinum, make sure you add the rental car insurance with that card. It’s $20 per rental, but they only charge you if you leave the rental on your Platinum card. If you use a different card when you return the car, that $20 is not charged. It gives you full coverage without having to use your personal insurance for small things like scratches or minor incidents.

You have to call Amex to add the rental insurance—it’s not automatic. It costs $20 per rental, covers up to 30–60 consecutive days, and usually works with any Amex card (but I’d call to confirm).

Insurance - Premium Car Rental Protection | American Express US

Receive up to $75,000 or $100,000, depending on selected plan, of theft or damage primary coverage when you enroll in Premium Car Rental Protection with an Eligible Card. Learn More Today.

www.americanexpress.com

Thank you, and I'll be flying from DFW but renting in PHX and just driving around there rather than using Lyft.

 

[RoomService]

Thank you, and I'll be flying from DFW but renting in PHX and just driving around there rather than using Lyft.

Just be careful when you rent—rental car companies are starting to use AI to detect even the smallest scratches. That premium Amex car rental insurance could be a lifesaver for you.

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onemileatatime.com

 

[kuervogold]

Idk the answer just dont use hertz

 

[cocobeauty]

Idk the answer just dont use hertz

Oh I wouldn’t dare. One of my coworkers got caught up because of Hertz.

 

[kuervogold]

Oh I wouldn’t dare. One of my coworkers got caught up because of Hertz.

They tried to box my guy up, but he was meticulous with his return video. Covered the whole car and steps to the door

 

[cocobeauty]

They tried to box my guy up, but he was meticulous with his return video. Covered the whole car and steps to the door

This is exactly what I do. I have the video going from the time I pull in and I go around the car showing zero damage, etc. Now this electric car will be new for me as for a charging but I will still record to show fully charged, etc.

 

[DragonXJC]

Tesla for the new experience.

 

[Dannyblueyes]

Don't rent the electric car!

I rent cars all the time for DJing. Four of them were electric and three of them were horrible experiences.

In December I got a Chevy Bolt. Went to fill it up at a "supercharger" station in San Francisco. Had to wait an hour for an available dock. It took another 45 minutes to get the car half full. Eventually I said "fuck it", Left early, and paid the under fuel charge so the car wouldn't be late coming back. The electricity cost more than gas.

In May I rented a Kia EV6 for a gig in San Rafael. This time I prepaid the fuel. After the show I packed up the car and it wouldn't start. Turns out It had two batteries. One for fuel, and one for function. The latter battery died and I had to wait 3 hours for a tow truck driver that would let me drop my gear off at home before returning the car to the rental spot.

The other experience was a Tesla, but that's a long story I've already told. If you haven't read it just know it's its own circle of hell.

Get the electric and at best you'll spend half your trip waiting for it to charge. At worst you'll have a catastrophic breakdown which ruins the whole thing.