You all know by now how a lot the CleanTechnica group LOVES electrical automobiles. So after we headed to Austin, TX, final month for a group retreat (and the Electrify Expo occasion – North America’s largest electrical automobile competition), we couldn’t drive round simply any rental automotive. It needed to be an EV. Fortunately our mates at UFODRIVE hooked us up with a Tesla for the weekend*.
After years of getting it proper in Europe, UFODRIVE is a global firm getting traction within the US as the primary all-digital, all-electric automotive rental firm. We have been thrilled to provide it a whirl in Austin and whirl we did.
Picture courtesy UFODRIVE.
CleanTechnica’s founder, Scott Cooney, and our CEO, Zach Shahan, each know Teslas inside an out, as seasoned Tesla (and different EV) house owners. They every just lately printed their respective three-year critiques of Tesla possession (take a look at Scott’s right here and Zach’s right here). So we weren’t first-time EV drivers, however quite, first time EV rental automotive customers.
The App
We downloaded the UFODRIVE app, which is required to order, choose up, drop off, unlock, and drive the EVs. The method of getting registered on the app was comparatively painless, although they do require a number of types of ID and proof of handle, so give your self somewhat time to get that arrange. Although as soon as the account has been created and validated (the validation half was tremendous fast), utilizing the app itself is a breeze. UFODRIVE is on the market 24/7 and you may swiftly and simply make reservations instantly via the app in only a few minutes. No extra coping with these lengthy traces on the rental automotive counter nor the piled up paperwork. Rental automotive customers rejoice!
We struggled a bit to seek out the pick-up location, although we have been in a position to shortly get a stay particular person on the UFODRIVE customer support line who was pleasant and very useful in getting us to the automotive. We situated the Tesla (branded wildly with UFODRIVE logos, we have been amused to see), unlocked the automobile with no difficulty, and bought on the street in minutes. There have been nice notifications and reminders alongside the way in which from the app, like when the automotive’s charging degree was low.
The Expertise
Picture courtesy UFODRIVE.
We had some bother with the Tesla driver settings off the bat, because the seat positioning, steering wheel angle, and many others., have been all programed not directly that irrespective of how we moved the seat round and saved driver settings, the settings would default to the programming and transfer the seat and steering wheel again robotically. Even the Tesla specialists within the group couldn’t work out how you can override this programming, so there have been just a few profanities muttered every time somebody bought within the driver’s seat.
Other than that, the Tesla driving expertise was identical to that with another Tesla Mannequin 3: zippy, quick as hell, comfy, responsive, zero emissions, and nil must cease at a gasoline station. Finally you’ll be able to lease an electrical automotive (!!!), fully digitally, with out the headache of rental automotive counters, with out worrying about filling the tank once you return it, and – we’ll say it once more – with out emissions!
One difficulty we did expertise was that the world of city we occurred to be staying in had fairly crappy mobile phone service. This meant the UFODRIVE app was typically gradual or didn’t work in any respect, which is problematic, as you want the app to be on-line with the intention to unlock and drive the EV. We thought maybe a key card left contained in the automotive when you choose up the rental can be sensible for the instances that cell service is a problem, so you’ll be able to unlock and drive the automotive with out using the app. Although we all know UFODRIVE is comparatively new in the US, so these kinds of kinks will get labored out alongside the way in which.
Charging
UFODRIVE offers a charging card, so that you don’t pay a dime for charging, and the app has a function that can assist you find related charging stations close by. For some purpose, we couldn’t get the charging card to work at a public charging station (undoubtedly might have been consumer error in that case), however in a while, we discovered a Tesla supercharging station utilizing the app’s charger locator function and have been in a position to cost up (so quick!) with no downside.
Remaining Ideas
Total, we had a blast with our UFODRIVE electrical automobile. We even turned some heads on the Electrify Expo, which might have been as a result of bombastic UFODRIVE branding on the automobile, however we prefer to assume folks have been excited to see an electrical rental automotive. It was enjoyable to listen to the CleanTechnica group wax poetic about EVs and their experiences driving electrical through the years, as we zipped round Austin in our rented Tesla. The UFODRIVE workers, from begin to end, have been pleasant, useful, responsive, and went out of their means to make sure we had an amazing expertise renting an EV. The app is simple to make use of, intuitive, and made reserving and driving easy.
The subsequent time we’re in want of a rental automotive in an UFODRIVE metropolis, we’ll be throughout it. We will’t watch for UFODRIVE to develop within the US and internationally so everybody can lease an EV when wanted. Verify to see if UFODRIVE is in your metropolis right here.
*UFODrive supplied the CleanTechnica group a rental EV freed from cost throughout our keep in Austin.
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