EV Curious? Try Renting.
Many people wonder “Would an EV fit my lifestyle”? You know what they say: “There’s only one way to find out!” WED caught up with Mo Valko of Decorah to hear about her recent experience renting an EV for an east coast adventure.
What was the make and model of your EV rental?
MV: Chevy Bolt EV, year 2023
What inspired you to rent an EV instead of a gas powered car?
MV: We flew to D.C. then drove to North Carolina, stopping to visit family in Virginia along the way. We are interested in buying an electric car this year, and it seemed like a great way to test drive one for 5 days. One of my biggest questions about switching to an EV is: How feasible is it to take on longer road trips? Or weekend trips to Chicago or Minneapolis? This seemed like a good test and it was! Also, the car rental cost was the same, so it was an easy choice. All in all, we saved money since charging costs worked out to be way less than gas.
Think back to when you first considered renting an EV: what were your biggest concerns? Did those concerns live up to what you had anticipated?
MV: Finding fast EV chargers that were operational, not occupied, and en route.
How many miles did you drive and under what driving conditions?
MV: The weather was mild which means the battery was performing well. We drove about 600 miles in total over the course of 6 days. The biggest day was 270 miles, which required stopping for an hour to charge.
What did you like about the experience?
MV: Not buying gas! And it was kind of nice to have to stop for an hour every once in a while. For example, when we drove from Washington D.C. to Blacksburg, VA, we stopped in Charlottesville for an hour to charge. There was a supercharger near the downtown pedestrian area and we found a great coffee shop to hang out for a while. We otherwise probably wouldn’t have stopped in Charlottesville and it was a great detour.
Were there any downsides or inconveniences?
MV: Aside from having to make charging stops which can make for a slower trip, the hardest part was navigating the network of chargers. I downloaded 4 different apps to navigate charging stations throughout the different areas we travelled, having to switch through different apps as we travelled. It was kind of a pain, but not a dealbreaker. Once you find a station, you have to make sure it’s operational/online and not occupied when you are planning to use it. I realize most people charge their EVs at home, or are familiar with charging stations on their normal driving route, so these issues might be limited to longer trips or driving outside of one’s normal area.
After experiencing driving electric, how likely are you to have your next car be electric?
MV: We’re still planning to go electric this year! All in all the experience was great. I don’t think I would take an electric car on a cross country trip where I’d need to tackle 700 miles in a day, but for daily driving and the occasional trip to Minneapolis or Chicago, I’m sold.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience?
MV: The variation in electricity cost was interesting. One super fast charging station ended up being free and I don’t know why. Two days later we charged for an hour and it was $14. I’m guessing it was subsidized by the city or state, but there wasn’t any info on the charger to indicate that.
Until this trip, I didn’t know there was a filter option for EV charging on Airbnb. We rented a room in someone’s house in Blacksburg that has a charging station outside. We rolled into the driveway with almost dead battery (whoops!) then had a full charge when we left the next morning.