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I don't love looking for gas stations before returning a vehicle, but I know I can find one within a few minutes, they will pretty much always be "functional" a
by gnicholas 3y ago
I don't love looking for gas stations before returning a vehicle, but I know I can find one within a few minutes, they will pretty much always be "functional" and available, and it will take only a few minutes to fill up.
With an EV, I might have to go 10+ minutes out of my way (doubled for roundtrip), they might not work, and they might be full. And if I have to return with 80% charge or higher, it could easily take 30 mins or more of charging.
Also, it's really easy for the rental place to see exactly what percent you returned it with. In gas cars, as long as you're in the ballpark of "full" you're usually good to go, partly because there's not an easy way for the rental clerk to tell exactly how many gallons are in the tank.
- NewJazz 3y agoIf you return with <80%, what happens? Do they charge a flat fee or by the kWh? Most cars will taper charging speeds as you approach 80, 90 %. And then you have to drive from the charger to the car rental place. Hmm.
- gnicholas 3y agoYeah, I dunno! With gas, they would typically just charge you some exorbitant price per gallon, but if it's just for a gallon it would only end up being 8 bucks or something. I have no idea how they deal with electricity, but I could imagine the penalty being pretty high if it means they can't turn the car around for an hour or more.