Vacations are a time for new experiences — like visiting faraway places or tasting different foods. And they can even provide an opportunity to try an electric vehicle for the first time.
Many car rental agencies — including Hertz, Avis, and Enterprise — now include EVs in their fleets.
Damon Aldrich is with Enterprise Mobility, which manages Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent-A-Car, and National Car Rental.
Aldrich: “Most customers love the features in an EV — smooth, quiet acceleration … the driver assistance features are fantastic.”
But driving an EV is often a bit different than driving a gas-powered car, and not everyone wants to deal with the learning curve while on vacation.
So Aldrich says renting an electric vehicle is not a good fit for every customer or every trip because public chargers remain limited in some areas.
He says Enterprise is training its staff to help renters decide if an EV is a good choice for them.
Aldrich: “To kind of size up what that customer’s needs are. … Where are they traveling? How many miles? How many days are they going to have the car? What does that local market look like in terms of charging infrastructure?”
He says if a car rental is going to be someone’s first time driving an EV, he wants to make sure it’s a positive experience.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media
