On a recent trip to the east coast I rented an electric vehicle through Turo for the first time. We visit family on 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 at the baggage claim when we arrived and handed me the key card. Simple. No waiting, no shuttle bus to ‘nearby’ car rental agencies, no lines. I liked the experience.

I opted to rent the same exact car I drive, primarily so I could use a familiar DC 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 roughly 500 miles over the week, first visiting family in the rolling hills of Northwest Jersey. I plugged the car’s mobile charger into a 120V outlet at my brother’s house to charge overnight, 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 with family at the Jersey Shore.

The Turo process was simple, and I enjoyed driving ‘my’ car on the east coast, it was an electric trip down memory lane to drive an EV along the roads I drove decades ago as a kid.

Final note: your car insurance may not cover Turo rentals so make sure you have proper coverage before beginning your trip.