Rent-A-Tesla???

Can you elaborate on your concern? I'm not getting it.

I assume by "show" you don't mean things like dissecting the vehicle.

MissErol said:

I am asking how do other owners feel about rental companies having Teslas in their fleet of cars to rent out in Florida. Not really about showing him my car.

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They already do. A friend texted me that she was renting an SUV and they had a Model S available. She said they quoted her $500 a day for it! Not sure which company.

I say we should be all for it. Another way to introduce more people to Tesla and how awesome the experience of driving one is.

MissErol said:

Thanks Charlotte, thats one way to look at it. $500 is up there and rightfully so...LOL. Was that on the east coast?

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Charlotte! Lol. Christal.

I'm not sure where she was, she may have been in NY

Btrflyl8e said:

Charlotte! Lol. Christal.
I'm not sure where she was, she may have been in NY

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At least she didn't call you Chester.

New stories over the last week announce Hertz is renting Model S for $500/day in CA (SF and LA), so it's true.

MissErol said:

I was approached by a friend who has requested me to show my Model S to a big shot over a corporate rental car company. He is wanting to have a Model S available in his fleet to rent out to costumers. I'm not sure how I feel about that and wanted to get my fellow club members perspectives. What do you think about big rental car companies having Teslas in their fleets? Supposably they are offering them in California.

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Hi Erol,

I think it is a great idea that will definitely help sell Teslas.

In Orlando there is the Drive Electric Orlando initiative in which Nissan and Enterprise rentals are collaborating with local hotels to rent LEAFS. So visitors to Orlando fly in, pickup their LEAF at the airport, drive around and take in the local attractions and charge overnight at participating hotels with chargers.

It would make sense for Tesla to work with big rental car companies to do something similar. As was mentioned Hertz is doing a pilot at the San Francisco and Los Angeles airports. It would be smart if Hertz and Tesla joined the Drive Electric Orlando initiative. Orlando is the most popular destination in the world and the demographics in Florida are very conducive to the sales of Teslas. So once someone has an opportunity to drive a Model S the car sells itself.

Larry

brianman said:

At least she didn't call you Chester.

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Word.

Great idea. The more people that are exposed to electric cars, and the more people that want them, should help speed up the charging inra-structure build out.

I rented Model S in/out SFO for one week last week and it costed $375 a day with 75 miles/day allowance. I forgot how much was the exceeded mileage maybe $.79 per mile. It's a good service for intl travelers with enough knowledge about MS.

I'll be renting Teslas right out of my studio...I have a Blue Model S Erol Tesla $450 p/d, a Red Larry Signature $600 p/d and a Light Blue Nigel Roadster for $800 p/d :biggrin:

Who's interested?

What Do Hertz and Tesla Mean for Each Other?

Tesla's perspective
Obviously Tesla gets to sell some cars, but the real gains won't come in the direct sales to Hertz; not at their current numbers anyway. What Tesla has is a great product too many people haven't experienced first hand. And there is compelling evidence to support the idea that Tesla rentals will drive additional Model S sales.

In its Q1 2013 conference call, Tesla noted conversions after test drives were in the region of 25% -- a very positive number for an automotive test drive. Now, some of this can be explained by the fact that the group of people test driving the Model S are also the ones most in-the-know and enthusiastic about Tesla. But based on reviews of the Model S from a performance and driving aspect, it's a top-notch car and much of the credit for those test drive conversions is due to the quality of the Model S.

For people otherwise not interested in a Model S, or those interested but who don't have the time to test drive one, renting a Model S could provide an ideal test before buying one. Additionally, even those who won't cough up the $500 a day to rent a Model S at least get to see one in the Hertz rental lot. To those who are aware of the car, it will provide a real-life look and reminder. And for those unaware of Tesla or the Model S, it could push them to research the car and learn more about it.

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Larry

I do see Hertz renting Teslas as being a "Win, Win".

My only consideration for renting in Florida would be that the East Coast Supercharging Network is currently not up to the extent and connectivity level that California now is.
Simply put: There are now nine Superchargers in California, and you can go a long way, whereas there are three SC in Florida.

Rolling onto the anticipated Fall Supercharger Maps, both the East and West Coast SC Networks are very extensive and then I don't foresee a problem.
And if someone wanted to do a "tour" or extended drive, they would not be able to "pull a Broder".

Then: If and when somebody wanted to do an extended drive to gain a true appreciation for the Tesla experience, I would just say, "Go for it."

purplewalt said:

I do see Hertz renting Teslas as being a "Win, Win".

My only consideration for renting in Florida would be that the East Coast Supercharging Network is currently not up to the extent and connectivity level that California now is.
Simply put: There are now nine Superchargers in California, and you can go a long way, whereas there are three SC in Florida.

Rolling onto the anticipated Fall Supercharger Maps, both the East and West Coast SC Networks are very extensive and then I don't foresee a problem.
And if someone wanted to do a "tour" or extended drive, they would not be able to "pull a Broder".

Then: If and when somebody wanted to do an extended drive to gain a true appreciation for the Tesla experience, I would just say, "Go for it."

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I am very conservative in my driving habits. That is, on long road trips I drive below the speed limit and top-off at Supercharger stations. However with all due respect, I think you are being a bit over conservative in your concerns about doing extended drives in Florida.

There's no question that California has more Superchargers than Florida and I suspect that will always be the case. While Florida does have a lot of Model Ss, 695 as of July, California is a bigger state and probably and has more than twice the number of Model Ss. However, this particular initiative that I have been discussing is focused on starting in Orlando. Orlando has quite a few public chargers, and more importantly a number of overnight charging at hotels. So the point is that having a car with a 265 mile range, driving around the Orlando area and charging overnight will result in a trouble-free visit.

Yes, the situation will be even better when the initial Supercharger build-out is completed, but visitors flying into to Orlando who wish to take an extended drive can easily take their rental Model S to say Miami now without a problem by stopping at the Port Saint Lucie Supercharger and then staying at a Miami hotel with overnight charging.

I agree that currently not every destination in Florida, especially up North, can be easily reached in a Model S from Orlando. However, using the existing three Superchargers and overnight charging at hotels does permit extended drives to points South on both Florida coasts. This will permit visitors renting a Model S in Orlando to gain a true appreciation for the Tesla experience right now.

Larry

MissErol said:

LOL! I apologize, I don't know how I messed that up. I did use your frunk closing maneuver at Costco yesterday. So not only did I freak people out by putting my items where they think the engine is but also got a kick at watching me close it with no hands. :biggrin:

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I will let Larry and Nigel go first. LOL.

I see everyones point and appreciate your responses. I do agree that it would probably only help Tesla sales and awareness of how unbelievable these cars are. Thanks Larry for the article. I will look forward to renting a Model X in the future. :wink:

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No worries! I'm glad you were able to use my hands free solution, it's the only way I ever close the frunk. Works perfectly, every time.

Btrflyl8e said:

No worries! I'm glad you were able to use my hands free solution, it's the only way I ever close the frunk. Works perfectly, every time.

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Hi Christal,

Can you describe your technique?

Thanks.

Larry

Larry Chanin said:

Hi Christal,

Can you describe your technique?

Thanks.

Larry

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Back up, center your rear over the very front edge and do one quick squat!