GregH
Well-known member
So the other day Jeremy was telling me how he was going to rent a Fiat500e from a guy on relayrides.com... Relayrides is a peer to peer car rental service where anyone can put up their unused car for rent. The company checks out the prospective drivers, posts available vehicles ($, location etc) and handles the financial transaction (taking a 25% cut).
This got me thinking... Would a similar service that hooked up EV drivers and PHEV drivers be viable? Instead of just renting an unused vehicle, the EV driver in need of a long distance vehicle for a short time could rent a private citizens PHEV. The PHEV driver in turn would not be out the use of a car because he/she could use your EV as they already have (presumably) an EVSE installed at their place. I'm not sure what the right price point might be as there are many variables (who's dropping off/picking up the car, will the EV driver add extra gas to the PHEV, are some PHEVs or EVs more desirable to the other party for whatever reason). Perhaps few PHEV drivers would be willing to rent out their car for a few extra bucks, especially if it kills their prized "average MPG" dashboard reading. But given the number of Volts, PiPs, Cmax energis etc out there it wouldn't take many. One PHEV (or Tesla?) could serve dozens of EV drivers in need of a vehicle for short periods of time (if the PHEV owner was willing and the price was right). For the EV driver it might be cheaper than renting from a normal rental agency and still be a plug in vehicle... Perhaps even more geographically convenient.
I don't know that this could be a for profit venture, but more likely a free web site or mobile app.. perhaps some minimal income from advertising.
Two of my coworkers with Volts said they might rent to me, but probably not a stranger.. but then the mere existence of relayrides.com makes me wonder if there are some PHEV drivers out there who are looking to make a little cash off their car, get to drive various pure EVs on occasion and perhaps get a free tank of gas.
Any thoughts?
[edit] P.S. Obviously I'm not a multi car family, but a solo EV owner.. I have to believe there are others in my position.
This got me thinking... Would a similar service that hooked up EV drivers and PHEV drivers be viable? Instead of just renting an unused vehicle, the EV driver in need of a long distance vehicle for a short time could rent a private citizens PHEV. The PHEV driver in turn would not be out the use of a car because he/she could use your EV as they already have (presumably) an EVSE installed at their place. I'm not sure what the right price point might be as there are many variables (who's dropping off/picking up the car, will the EV driver add extra gas to the PHEV, are some PHEVs or EVs more desirable to the other party for whatever reason). Perhaps few PHEV drivers would be willing to rent out their car for a few extra bucks, especially if it kills their prized "average MPG" dashboard reading. But given the number of Volts, PiPs, Cmax energis etc out there it wouldn't take many. One PHEV (or Tesla?) could serve dozens of EV drivers in need of a vehicle for short periods of time (if the PHEV owner was willing and the price was right). For the EV driver it might be cheaper than renting from a normal rental agency and still be a plug in vehicle... Perhaps even more geographically convenient.
I don't know that this could be a for profit venture, but more likely a free web site or mobile app.. perhaps some minimal income from advertising.
Two of my coworkers with Volts said they might rent to me, but probably not a stranger.. but then the mere existence of relayrides.com makes me wonder if there are some PHEV drivers out there who are looking to make a little cash off their car, get to drive various pure EVs on occasion and perhaps get a free tank of gas.
Any thoughts?
[edit] P.S. Obviously I'm not a multi car family, but a solo EV owner.. I have to believe there are others in my position.
