Based in Paris, Antoine only needs a car two or three times a year. To do this, he resorts to rental, favoring electric models.
An economical solution
Now in his forties, Antoine has only owned one car: “ It was a Renault Clio from 1999 that I had used from the very beginning for my accompanied driving. I left it in 2014 when I went to live in London for a few years. It was unthinkable for me to have a car in this city, for several reasons, including right-hand drive ».
Returning to Paris in 2017, he prefers to rent a car according to his needs rather than own one: “ It happens to me two or three times a year, mainly for vacations or long weekends in the countryside when there is no accessible public transportation. ».
He is sure: “ Renting on demand remains the most economical solution. I haven’t had a car for 9 years. Here, I would have to rent a parking space for 100 euros per month. I no longer have any insurance or maintenance costs. For city dwellers who don’t need a car to get around, renting is interesting. ».
A very good first experience
Choosing an electric car can be even more complex: “ I am convinced that living in a building without personal access to a charging solution in a big city is even more complicated. You have to find somewhere to park and plug in the vehicle ».
It was a bit by chance that he rented his first electric: “ It was three years ago, during a trip to Palermo. I needed a car. I received a Renault Zoé. It was well suited to traffic and parking in the restricted area where I was. I could take advantage of spaces dedicated to electric vehicles to park it ».
This episode was experienced by Antoine “ as a first very good experience of the EV. I discovered great driving fluidity with the Renault Zoé. It is a comfortable, practical and handy model which suited me for my travel needs of less than one hundred kilometers. ».
Very different models
Since his stay in Sicily, our reader has made a decision: “ I try to only rent electric cars. However, this is not always possible. In Portugal, with a charging network that is too weak, it did not seem reasonable to me to choose an EV. In Romania, it’s even worse: no terminals and no electric cars ».
In addition to the Renault Zoé, Antoine has had four other trendy models in his hands: “ Hyundai Kona, Nissan Leaf, Peugeot e-2008 and BYD Atto 3. Even if things seem to be improving, among rental companies, we don’t really know in advance what we’re renting. I chose one model, they gave me another. And sometimes even a gasoline one when I had asked for an electric one. Abroad, the EV supply is less important than in Paris ».
In Slovenia, he was able to discover the Nissan Leaf: “ It was still the old model. It was with this electric car that I covered the most kilometers, around a thousand over two weeks. It had a small battery, but for touring and when there are terminals, it’s not a problem. From time to time I came across broken chargers ».
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Good students…
Antoine compares the Nissan Leaf to the Renault Zoé: “ I had similar experiences with both of these EVs. These are simple, no-frills models that drive straight away, without having to think too much. With the Zoé, you climb in, adjust your seat and leave ».
However, it is the Hyundai Kona that leaves him with the best memory: “ Apart from the Zoé and the Leaf, I rented my other electric cars in France. The Hyundai Kona was for spending a weekend in Normandy. I didn’t need to recharge it during my entire stay, just in Paris before returning it to the agency. And this, without trying too hard to drive economically. It’s the only electric car with which I was able to travel such a distance without having to look for a terminal ».
Regarding the Korean SUV, he adds: “ It also has intuitive operation: no need to search for commands in submenus. We get our bearings very quickly. Its road behavior is also very good ».
… And the others
The model that least convinced our reader, “ This is the Peugeot e-2008. Concerning comfort, it is very good too. The car is spacious and interesting to drive. But the lack of a percentage energy gauge is confusing. Changing vehicle with each new rental, I have no time to waste trying to understand how the car estimates its autonomy ».
Enough to make him prefer the BYD Atto 3: “ I was quite surprised to receive this model. I take what is given to me, without preconceptions. It is a quality car, very comfortable, particularly quiet, easy to handle, and which offers good visibility. ».
It’s elsewhere that it fails: “ I find the infotainment system – GPS, radio, screen, etc. – a little wobbly on the Atto 3. You have to search through menus, sometimes just to inhibit superfluous options ».
An additional cost compared to thermal models?
Difficult for Antoine to assess a possible difference in rental prices between thermal cars and electric ones: “ It’s sometimes a little more expensive, but it really depends on the model. EVs are also often better equipped. The gas cars I’ve received are often basic. In contrast, the Peugeot e-2008 and BYD Atto 3 offered a rather premium finish ».
By renting, you can also have fun by choosing the models you want: “ Not as far as I’m concerned. It doesn’t make sense to me to want to try a particular model that would be, for example, oversized. On the contrary, I think that one of the advantages of rental is to opt for a category closest to the needs ».
He cites as an example: “ So a city car for getting around just a stone’s throw away or a bigger one if there is something to move or more people to transport. Size will also affect efficiency ».
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An option to avoid having to recharge upon return
Occasionally renting an electric car in a big city must pose problems to return with full energy. More than with a thermal model: “ As with a gasoline car, the rental provides for a return with a full tank. Generally, I manage to plug the vehicle in first. In Paris, terminals are increasingly used. I sometimes resort to the ‘Recharge Service’ option because it gets complicated otherwise ».
This peace of mind is not necessarily very expensive. On the website of the rental agency where Antoine goes most often, during our simulation, she was once billed 6.49 euros for a Volkswagen ID.3 as for a Tesla Model 3. Against, for example, 14 .04 euros per day to add an additional driver.
As an occasional user of electric vehicles, he says: “ It’s tiring to have to download applications while providing bank details. This subscription type approach to making the customer captive does not appeal to me. It’s much simpler to pay with a credit card, as is possible to fill up with fuel ».
Extremely pleasant to drive
It is again around recharging that he draws his main, not very positive, anecdotes: “ I think of the problems encountered at the terminals when it rains. Like a normal electric car user, I can’t escape it ».
Which does not erase all the positive things he retains from these models: “ They are extremely pleasant to drive. Particularly in the mountains. Not only because of the regenerative braking on descents, but also on hills. We slow down to negotiate a turn and simply accelerate immediately afterwards ».
The friend: « It’s much more pleasant than with a petrol vehicle with an automatic transmission. Driving comfort is much higher than this level in EV. We get something by going back to thermal with a mechanical box ».
Automobile Propre and I thank Antoine very much for his responsiveness and his testimony.
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