If EVs can work in rental car fleets, they can work anywhere

Image Credits: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg / Getty Images

When I went to CarRentals.com to book a car for Thanksgiving a few months ago, CarRentals.com had all of the cars they had left at the airport. I usually end up with a Nissan Altima that gets the job done. It's cheap. This time, it's not going to happen.

It was a foregone conclusion that I would end up renting one of the 100,000Teslas thathertz is adding to its fleet. All of our cars over the last seven-plus years have had a plug, and I am what you would call aTesla-curious. A couple of years ago I drove a Model Y for the first time, but I had never driven it for more than a short time.

I thought what the hell. Go for it.

I was not sure about renting an EV. I know my cars' real-world range and how the weather will affect it, so I do most of my charging at home. I wouldn't have a 120v outlet at my parents' house because I don't know anything about the Model 3.

I have a weakness for new technology and new ways of seeing it. Nothing happened here.

How it went

When we picked up the car at the airport, I was directed to the kiosk, where a nice rep behind the counter explained that she had to give me a spiel. She asked if I had any questions, and I told her that I knew how to use an electric vehicle.

She pointed out that there was an option to place a $35 deposit if I wasn't able to return the car more than 70% charged. I would get $35 back on my credit card if I charged it before I returned it. I took her up on the offer because I thought it was a good one.

She mentioned that the O'Hare fleet was mostly being replaced with electric cars. That is the reason that onlyTeslas remain.

We got the kids situated, adjusted the mirrors, and headed out after finding the car. The Model 3 is perfect for anyone who wants to drive an EV. The one-pedal driving and the twitchy pedal reminded me of our old BMW i3 and I was able to ignore the brake pedal. The suspension was tight but not horrible. The Model Y felt like it was hitting my kidneys on rough roads, but that was not the case with it.

I wanted to take the car on the way to make sure we had enough for the return. The outlets are extremely slow. We searched for acharger after entering our destination. Our route started with the one closest to our destination.

It was great to drive the car but not so great to let it drive itself.