The Big Drawback To Renting An Electric Car

By now, even people who still say they will never purchase an electric vehicle know that they offer many advantages (via EDF Energy). For one, they save big time at the fuel pump, which judging by the prices of today, most of us would gladly welcome. However, the decision to drive an EV isn't for everyone and this more fuel-efficient option also isn't optimal for every occasion for a variety of reasons.

One example of this is renting an electric vehicle for the purpose of going on a trip. On the surface, this may seem like the perfect idea with the soaring gas prices. However, some drivers that have taken the opportunity to get an EV on long-term rental may caution you against it. This isn't to detract from how far the world of electric vehicles has come, it simply means that certain situations call for certain types of vehicles, and a multi-day road trip might not be the best use-case scenario for a full-on EV, at least not yet.

The biggest obstacle preventing electric vehicles from being ideal cars to use for a trip is that they have to be charged. Charging an electric vehicle isn't like filling your tank with fuel, it takes time. What this also means is that you have to add charging times to the overall planning of your trip. This, in turn, means you have to be sure of where the charging stations are as well as their level because this will determine how long your charging session will take. 

It should also be noted that sometimes fast chargers are a bit slower than advertised, which means a person could assume their EV is good to go, only to drive for a bit and realize they need to charge again. 

"I rented an electric car for a four-day road trip," said Rachel Wolfe of the Wall Street Journal. "I spent more time charging it than I did sleeping."

As we speak about the current state of the electric vehicle charging grid and how imperfect it is for certain long-range situations, we don't mean to discourage the use of EVs. However, people go on vacation to relax and have a good time, not to constantly stress about having enough power to make the journey. The solution to this problem is a more stable system of charging stations. This will come, but it's not here yet. Until then, when it comes to long trips and rental cars, it would appear that the benefits of gasoline still outweigh the wait times inherent with an EV.