Try before you buy a cruisy option in green car search
Choosing a new car is never easy, particularly for motorists changing vehicle type. People weighing up whether a green car works for them can try before they buy with services offering hybrid and electric options.
Major rental companies offer electric options in place of traditional cars for short, hassle-free loans. Europcar charges about $300 per day for an electric MG ZS, while a Tesla Model 3 booked through Sixt is about $405 per day.
Evee is a cheaper option. Shaping up as an Airbnb for electric cars, Evee is a peer-to-peer rental program allowing you to borrow battery-powered cars from individual motorists starting at about $200 per day.
HelloCars charges $369 per week to loan out a MG ZS EV, a price that looks sharp until you consider fees, charges and a minimum six month loan at a total beyond $10,000.
There’s more flexibility with Carbar, which has no-lock in contract on month-long loans. An advertised $399 per week for the Tesla Model 3 translates to a minimum cost of $4200 with fees and charges. But once you join, CarBar gives buyers a chance to chop and change between models, including rarer machines such as the Mazda MX-30, Kia Niro and Polestar 2.
Energy provider AGL encourages EV-curious customers to add an electric car to their power bill, starting at $285 per week or $2985 for 3 months behind the wheel of a Nissan Leaf.
Hybrid models are even easier to access. Most rental and carsharing agencies have hybrid options, territory Toyota is examining with Kinto, a new subbrand offering app-based loans of hybrid cars. Inner-city resident Elisabeth Baillie relies on public transport for day-to-day movement, renting or borrowing cars when required.
“I needed a car over a long weekend and heard about Kinto. I wanted to try a hybrid – particularly with rising fuel costs,” she says. “It was really cool driving in EV mode, and the experience of booking it was super easy.”