US Roadtrip and electric car rental

[Bearings]

Potentially looking at a San Fran roadtrip later this year and I've noticed hire car sites are making electric cars cheaper than ICE cars. No doubt, some EV incentive from the state of California.

We'll be doing a loop starting / finishing in SF going east and then circling around to the north to the Redwood forests before coming south back to SF.

We've done loads of US roadtrips in the past but I've got no EV experience especially in the rental area but wondering about using this as as opportunity for an extended experience with an EV - ie: a Tesla M3 with Hertz or Kia eNiro.

Has anyone done a roadtrip with EV through a hire company, particularly in North California?

Any tips or words of advice would be appreciated?
How easy was charging / the ease of charge billing via a rental company and how bad was your range anxiety?
How easy was charging outside of the Tesla network too?

[TCEvo]

Can't comment from personal experience, but Matt Farrah has a couple of videos of running a Ford Mach-E on his Smoking Tire YouTube channel that might be worth watching. He's based in LA & address' the US non-Tesla charging network & good/bad etc.

[numtumfutunch]

Helpfully unhelpful however have just returned from Ca and noted an armada of Model 3's at SFO Avis and plenty of superchargers when out and about even in some unexpected off grid hotels

String suggestion to DYOR however the Tesla website is usually good at mapping their network

Cheers

[h0b0]

Tesla super charge network has been opened to all.


I was recently at LAX behind a guy that had booked a Tesla. At the counter he asked nervously “what’s the range?” And then “Oh, can I have a normal car?”. I imagine the charge network is extensive in urban areas but once out a little gas stations were tough to find. I coasted down in to yucca valley after my Suburban with a drinking problem had guzzled through the last 40 miles of range up a hill. The gas last gas station we passed was over a hundred miles ago as we crossed the baron landscape from Vegas.

Edited by h0b0 on Thursday 1st June 00:42

[gotoPzero]

The big question is what time of year. As in the cold, the range will be a good bit less.

As stated be aware of the passes taking up a good bit of charge, you will get some regen on the way down I guess.

I would just look at a map of the super charger stations and your intended stop offs and see if you could work it out.

Also, being honest I dont think I could deal with EV on holiday. Your time is short on holiday anyway and if you have to stop to charge for an hour it could really ruin your plans.

Or, you might sail round no issues.

I ran an iPace for 2 years and there is no way I would book an EV for a road trip. Perhaps if it was free, or maybe £10-£20 a day. Other than that I would rather pay £40-60 a day for a normal car. I put EVs in the commuter vehicle category right now, not road trip cars. Just my 3.5 cents worth.

[NNH]

I live in LA. We have a Kia eNiro and a Fiesta ST. For all local stuff, the Niro is great. There are a reasonable number of charging stations, though they are a lot more expensive than charging at home so most of our e-mileage is within LA County. For longer trips like last year's drive to Idaho, we always fire up the mighty Fiesta. In fact, last weekend (a holiday weekend over here, too) my wife took the Fiesta to visit her sister near San Francisco, because it's such a hassle trying to find an available charger on long weekends.

TLDR - even in California, the infrastructure isn't quite there yet for an EV unless you have your own charger.

[Bearings]

Thanks everyone - that's really interesting as you'd thought with California being the EV capital of the world (it seems), charging points would be 10-a-penny like gas stations. Everyone seems to be leaning towards ICE in this scenario.

I have done some digging into charge points around our planned route (around Sept / Oct so still quite warm) and whilst chargers do appear to be available, it's just the unknown which is a bit unsettling. Reliability on electric chargers especially non-Tesla ones still seems to be a common theme too, certainly in the UK.

This road trip is around 750 miles/ 15 hr over 2 weeks (SF > Sacramento > Red Bluff > Eureka > SF) so whilst not exactly a marathon, but it will be mostly outside the major cities after Sacramento.

Electric may make more sense on another road trip in a few years.

Any more comments welcomed as nothing's been booked so far.

Edited by Bearings on Thursday 1st June 08:59

[h0b0]

I used a company discount code and got 90% of a Chevy Suburban making the week $300 +tax. The code requires a company email for confirmation so no point sharing here but worth trying ones you may get.

The suburban was perfect for for the trip. Was not an issue driving around LA or out in the desert. It had delivery miles on it when we picked it up and returned with over 2000 miles.

[Bearings]

Good thinking h0b0 - I'll scour my company's perks to see if I can get any discounts this way!

[CheesecakeRunner]

h0b0 said:

Tesla super charge network has been opened to all.

No it hasn’t.

Some sites have in the US, but not all. The Tesla app shows which are open.

For ease, I’d hire a Tesla though.

[coach]

Don’t worry about it. Hire a Tesla and enjoy. We’re hiring in Florida and there are loads of charge points.

[MTK1919]

I recently was on a work trip to California and had a Tesla Model Y for company. I had driven one before but this was the first time I spent any significant time in one. I have to say, overall I enjoyed the experience and it made a lot of sense out there with a comprehensive supercharge network. The car itself was a bit dull, but on the other foot I can get the appeal.

I only had one day off whilst visiting but made the most of it with a pacific coast highway road trip. I passed by various beaches (Huntington Beach, Long Beach, Redondo Beach, Venice Beach, Malibu and over the mountains (a personal fav), before a stop to see the Hollywood sign, onto Downtown LA, a Tesla charging station.

Ok so not a mega road trip, but I was out a good 12hrs and the car only needed a charge towards the end to ensure it had enough for handing back to Hertz…..otherwise it would have made it.

Broadly my route.



Few random snaps.

Edited by MTK1919 on Saturday 3rd June 18:17

Edited by MTK1919 on Saturday 3rd June 18:18

[Bearings]

Thanks everyone, comments and trip notes are all good to read.

I suspect we'll still stick with an petrol car for ease with gas stations on every street corner.
I reckon it'll be fine, but the people I'm travelling with would rather prefer a petrol setup, it seems.