Renting an electric vehicle

Old Feb 17, 2024, 12:22 pm
  #1  
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Renting an electric vehicle

I should preface this by saying I have never been in an electric vehicle, let alone rented one.

That said, for the dates I am considering a Mustang Mach-E is considerably cheaper than a comparable petrol vehicle.

I'll be travelling into rural WV, where the only charger I know of is Tesla branded. Will any electric car charge from that? Otherwise, is charging at a residential property just a question of plugging into an outlet and leaving it overnight?

Can I bring the car back empty (so to speak) and prepay as I would with petrol?

Sorry if these are basic questions. Thank you.
rpjepson is offline  
Old Feb 17, 2024, 3:46 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
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I have an electric car at home (not Tesla), but would strongly suggest you consider paying extra for a gas rental instead of a Mach-E. The Mach-E uses one of two types of chargers CCS (Fast Charger - Level 3) J1772 (Level 1 & Level 2). The Mach-E does not yet use the NACS plug that most Tesla chargers currently have. If you want to take a look at the available chargers in the area you will be in, I recommend PlugShare which will let you filter for the different types. I also recommend A Better Route Planner (ABRP) as a mechanism to understand what kind of impact charging will have on your trip.

As to how long charging will take (these numbers are rough, and depend on the exact speed capability of the charger (KW) and capacity of the battery (KWH). The following numbers assume the standard 70KWH Mach-E battery
Level 1 - Roughly 1-1.5 KW per hour of charging. (Empty to Full in 45-70 Hours)
Level 2 - Roughly 6-12 KW per hour of charging. (Empty to Full in 6-12 Hours)
Level 3 - Roughly 50-350 KW per hour of charging. (Empty to Full in ~10 min to ~1.5 Hours)

Level 1 and 2 are generally considered more reliable chargers than Level 3. Prices are all over the map, but commercial chargers are usually equal to or more expensive than gas when you factor in efficiency.

I can't speak to the Avis charging rules - as they seemed to change ever time I rented an electric.
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BlueEngineer is offline  
Old Feb 17, 2024, 7:45 pm
  #3  
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Only other comment regarding on-the-road charging is that every time I've tried to use a Level 1 charger using the 110v charger that was in the rental car (in a Genesis, Hyundai, Tesla, Mach E), the speed is ~0.6kW/hr. Going from <20% to full is >100 hours.

For the Avis T&C on charges for less-than-full returns of EVs, check out this page. It changes often, but the T&C at the bottom have the most up-to-date information.
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Old Feb 17, 2024, 7:54 pm
  #4  
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If there is no compatible NACS/CCS/J1772 charger at your destination/worksite, I'd avoid taking an electric rental car.
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Old Feb 17, 2024, 11:56 pm
  #5  
 
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It sounds like you are not an American, and rural West Virginia is not the place to learn how to use an EV. They are friendly and intelligent people but there won't be much they can do to help you if you get yourself in a tight spot.
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