On a recent trip to the east coast I rented an electric vehicle through Turo for the first time. We visit the east coast several times a year and for this trip we needed a rental. I opted for Turo so we could rent the electric vehicle of our choice. The whole experience went well and allowed us to drive electric on vacation.
For those who haven’t used Turo, it’s similar to many other rental services in that you select the location, dates and car of your choice, which brings up rental options. A big difference is that you are renting the car from an individual, and this can bring up a different set of rental cars to choose from compared to standard rental agencies. Also, each owner, or host, sets their own price and terms for the rental. The screen shot below shows an example search on Turo’s website.
We rented our car from a couple who were very responsive, prompt, and great to deal with. They met us outside the baggage claim when we arrived at the airport and handed me the key card for the rental. Simple. No waiting. No shuttle bus to ‘nearby’ car rental agencies. No lines. I liked the experience.
Major car rental companies do provide EVs for customers. For example, a quick search showed that Avis and Enterprise offered the Nissan Leaf, Ford Mustang Mach E, Kia EV6, and Hyundai Niro as EV options – all cars I’m very interested in trying out. However, in each case the rental agency specified “Nissan Leaf or similar”. There was no guarantee I’d get that specific car, which left me uncertain about which car I’d get, how much range it would have and which DC charging network I’d be using on the road – all things I like to know beforehand.
For that reason I opted to rent the same exact car I drive from Turo. I needed DC charging for some of my drives and this way I’d be using a familiar charging network on the road. I’ll save exploring different EVs and their charging networks for a future trip when I have more time in my schedule.
We drove 500 miles over the week, first visiting family in the rolling hills of Northwest Jersey. I was able to plug the car’s mobile charger into a 120V outlet at my brother’s house for overnight charging, and used superchargers for longer trips.
We caught up with family, explored surrounding farm fields, and ate some of the best Jersey sweet corn I’ve had in years. Then we drove south and enjoyed several days at the Jersey Shore.
The Turo process was simple, and I enjoyed driving ‘my’ car on the east coast. Driving an EV along the roads I drove decades ago as a kid was an electric trip down memory lane.
Important note: your car insurance may not cover Turo rentals, so make sure you have proper coverage before beginning your trip.
