I got stuck with my first electric vehicle (EV) on the west coast of the country. I use the term "stuck" because I was given no choice. I reserved a standard automobile from a company I regularly use.
The benefits of that customer loyalty include skipping the counter lines and proceeding directly to an assigned vehicle. My wheels touch down at the local airport, and my phone usually alerts me to the assignment. I walk in and drive through a checkpoint for identity verification only.
Having found myself sitting in an EV that day, I could have retreated. I could, of course, have chosen to stand in the incredibly long lines at the rental desk or the equally long lines at the “convenience“ facility in the garage. Both of which would have been expenditures of time that I was reluctant to accept. I was also unconvinced they would accommodate my request for a non-electric.
After watching the instruction video, accessed from the QR code taped to the dashboard, I was soon underway. I apologize for that sarcasm. The rental car company provided no instruction sheet, no video, no assistance, and no customer service. The EV is not rocket science, but it is different from other cars. So, I strove to intuitively work through starting and driving the vehicle. Granted this was not a major inconvenience, but it was nonetheless alien.
In fairness, I have rented internal combustion engine (ICE) automobiles that had different features and took some getting used to. The rental experience across many companies in many cities is consistent - no guidance or instruction is ever provided about the vehicles. How hard would it be to put a QR code in the car leading to a manual?
I drove the vehicle a few miles, parked, and attempted to lock the car. This particular EV did not allow locking of the doors until the car had been turned off twice. Turning the vehicle off once put it in an accessory mode, reminiscent of turning the key backward in a 1970s Chevrolet. After multiple attempts to lock the vehicle, I resorted to a YouTube search for vehicle lessons.
The folks of the rental agency had been kind enough to assure the vehicle was not charged when I picked it up. Unlike the common experience of each ICE automobile being fully fueled on pickup, the EV was not (however, the "fuel out" on the contract said it was 8/8, meaning full). I worried about how I would return it fully charged, and lamented the expense of that. I wondered, perhaps they are not charged to not deprive me of the chance to use a charger?
Some may hypothesize that this is instead due to the challenge of finding chargers. I soon learned just how valid that is. There are some entertaining threads on Reddit about individuals who were provided with rental vehicles that were not fully charged. Reading those later that day merely caused more anxiety.
I soon found a charging opportunity with two charging stations and three adjacent parking places. Those parking spots were each conspicuously labeled "EV charging only." I pulled into the empty slot but was unable to start charging as the other two vehicles were already using all of the two chargers. I struggle to see the need for the third space unless it is to wait your turn.
I was almost immediately accosted by a security guard who explained to me I could only park there if I was charging my vehicle. I explained to him that there were three parking places and only two chargers. He seemed to grasp this incongruity easily. I then explained to him that the two chargers were already engaged with other automobiles. This was beyond his comprehension.
I told him I was going to charge when the capability was available. He said I had to move the EV until then. He explained again that I could only park there if I was charging my car. When I asked him how I might charge it when the two chargers were already plugged into other vehicles, he replied “that’s why we have the rule.” I’ve pondered one that at length, and still do not understand what he meant.
I moved the car and returned periodically to check in the chargers. Each time, I found the two fully-charged cars still plugged in. I pondered the etiquette of automobile charging. Was it appropriate for me to unplug the fully charged vehicle next to me, and to use that charge port? I was in the process of signing up for the required phone app, on my third trip down to check, when one owner arrived and removed a car.
Having signed up for the application, I managed to connect the cord to the vehicle. This was reasonably intuitive and required only a few minutes. The display screen indicated “charging,” and said my charge was $0.00. Eventually, that changed to $0.01. The charging speed was surprisingly slow.
According to the dashboard meter, the vehicle began with a 136-mile range and was 42% charged. A mere 12 hours later, and $15.27, the car was fully charged. Despite the app's instructions, I received no text, email, or other notification when it concluded. I found it had concluded by checking the vehicle every few hours through the night. I immediately moved the car in case the security guard showed up at 04:00 and penalized me for parking while no longer charging.
As I drove around in the ensuing days, I found that charging is not universal. With an ICE, you may purchase fuel anywhere anytime. You can buy XYZ gas without an XYZ card. With the EV, each charging station was operated by a different company, and each required download, installation, and registration with a different phone application. I am not sure how many vendors I am willing to do business with, but for this EV rental experiment, my answer was one.
Why not use the same company for each charge? There were search functions to find chargers on the handy app. That helped locate but did not pre-verify availability. I drove to one and found it occupied. I drove to another, which was also occupied. It was frustrating. I drove to one address that the app provided and could never find a charger there.
Eventually, the trip concluded and I prepared to fly home. I was unable to charge the EV before returning to the airport. The chargers at my hotel were occupied the night before departure. I mapped to a charger on the way to the airport and upon arrival, it was occupied. I returned the car with much more charge than when I rented it, but far less than full.
I apologized to the nice attendant checking in vehicles and she replied "it does not matter, we don't check that." The mystery of the uncharged vehicle at pick-up was solved. I did not receive a fully-charged car and did not return a fully-charged car. With the tech available, I am unsure how you would charge it back to a similar level (42%). However, doing so pumping gas into an ICE is challenging at times also.
In all, the EV was a frustrating and disappointing encounter. Due to my age and complacency, I remain firmly in the ICE family. The ICE offers familiarity and convenience. I am simply not yet willing or ready to transition.
Is that a fear of change? Is that merely a devotion to habits? Are the challenges and inconveniences really a deterrent or just a difference? In the end, I suspect that ownership of these cars is more comfortable than rental. Over time, I believe I would become used to the experience, the tricks, and the nuance. Nonetheless, the tribulation of this change is not in my foreseeable future.
Interestingly, on a later rental in a much smaller city, the same company made me visit the rental desk. The clerk there started to hand me keys and spontaneously said "Can't give you that, it's an EV." My curiosity must have been apparent as he then said "Your contract says no EVs." As I drove the ICE vehicle from that airport, I merely wondered more about my recent West Coast EV adventure.
