Rental car - electric

[Kiwigirls]

Have booked a rental car for our time at Disneyland, and the one I've booked happens to be an EV. (Electric). I'm fairly familiar with EV's as I have one, but what I'm not sure about is the charging networks in the US, what their process is for payment, etc.

Here in NZ there are a few different ones that operate via an app, but you have to sign up in advance, some have little tags/tokens you can use and they vary in the way payment is taken. So not sure what to expect in US?

Is there an app I should download ahead of time?

If renting will the rental car company have a preexisting arrangement with a charging network that comes with the car?

 

[bcla]

What kind? Several of the major rental agencies allow use of Tesla Superchargers where they'll just charge it (through the rental company) to the renter - possibly with a small surcharge. That would be the easiest as a Tesla would already be registered and it's a simple plug in and it would eventually be charged to the renter.

There are some places that provide complimentary charging to customers/guests.

Others might require setting up an account with a credit card on file.

 

[Mle8308]

I wouldn't do it when you're on vacation and don't have reliable access to a charging station. Especially in a tourist destination. People don't move their vehicles when finished at a lot of hotels or theme parks. And here in the US, you may find a place to charge, but count on at least 25% of the outlets to not be working. Rent a gas powered vehicle, you will be happy you did.

 

[bcla]

I wouldn't do it when you're on vacation and don't have reliable access to a charging station. Especially in a tourist destination. People don't move their vehicles when finished at a lot of hotels or theme parks. And here in the US, you may find a place to charge, but count on at least 25% of the outlets to not be working. Rent a gas powered vehicle, you will be happy you did.

Depends on the car. If it's a Tesla, there's real-time availablility of Superchargers including how many aren't working. I've had recent experience borrowing a Tesla and 25% would be unusual. I've seen some that weren't available.

I suppose a lot of complimentary charging (such as at hotels) isn't recorded and there are no idle fees, but where idle fees are charged there's a strong incentive to not just leave a vehicle parked there.

 

[Kiwigirls]

Thanks for the responses so far - not a Tesla. Kia Niro EV is what is listed. Through Hertz (although I booked via a third party).

 

[SteveH]

I would agree with @Mle8308 - not on vacation. I've had two friends share their horror stories of trying to deal with the charging stations while on vacations. Both said neither of their vehicles were fully charged which resulted in a delayed start getting to their destination.

There are apps to help you find where to charge, but IMHO when doing Disney time = money. You can contact your hotel to see what options they might have onsite. Personally I'd just get gas vehicle and not worry about it, but that's me.

 

[Mle8308]

I would agree with @Mle8308 - not on vacation. I've had two friends share their horror stories of trying to deal with the charging stations while on vacations. Both said neither of their vehicles were fully charged which resulted in a delayed start getting to their destination.

There are apps to help you find where to charge, but IMHO when doing Disney time = money. You can contact your hotel to see what options they might have onsite. Personally I'd just get gas vehicle and not worry about it, but that's me.

Same! That is why I don't recommend while on vacation and not familiar with the area. Friends were suckered into renting an EV because they were offered a very low rate (at WDW, though not DL). They soon discovered why no one wanted to rent one. It was not good and almost caused them to miss their flight home. They had to leave the car at the resort and Uber back to MCO because the car battery died when they thought it was charged. It ended costing them A LOT more in the end. Also, Google EV charging issues in CA, you will see lots of very long lines waiting for a charging station to open up. As @SteveH says, on vacation, time is money. I wouldn't want to waste it waiting for an outlet to open up.

 

[bcla]

Thanks for the responses so far - not a Tesla. Kia Niro EV is what is listed. Through Hertz (although I booked via a third party).

When you rent there's never a guarantee. Most rental agencies call it a preference - and often just a "vehicle class". I've rented before where I ended up with a minivan because all intermediate sedans were already rented out. Even when I got the same vehicle class it was a different make/model than the example given.

But assuming that you have have an EV that's not a Tesla, you might want to research the different charging systems out there. The most common (outside of Tesla) in the United States is ChargePoint, but there are many others. There might be a concern over "idle fees" and I'm not sure how to monitor it when it's not your own vehicle. Many EVs can be connected to apps that give real time information on the state of charge as well as control over charging. You might want to download the apps and then monitor a particular charging system through that app.

A good place to start is Plugshare. They list different charging systems including those at hotels and restaurants. Some in pay parking garages and others are complimentary provided by a business. I entered Disneyland and it noted 68 charging plugs (not sure what that means) at the Mickey and Friends parking garage and 91 at the Toy Story lot. They're all fairly slow, but you should be able fully charge within 10 hours). However, it might make more sense at your own hotel.

https://www.plugshare.com
If you're short on time you probably want a Level 3 (fast) charger, which should work with a Niro. It's designed to use this big connector for fast charging, but if you use a Level 2 charger, a smaller connector plugs into the top of the big port.
I think some of these might work just with a credit card scanned (especially wireless) right there to start the charging.
https://www.chargepoint.com/drivers...e-chargepoint-station-without-card-or-account

 

[bcla]

Same! That is why I don't recommend while on vacation and not familiar with the area. Friends were suckered into renting an EV because they were offered a very low rate (at WDW, though not DL). They soon discovered why no one wanted to rent one. It was not good and almost caused them to miss their flight home. They had to leave the car at the resort and Uber back to MCO because the car battery died when they thought it was charged. It ended costing them A LOT more in the end. Also, Google EV charging issues in CA, you will see lots of very long lines waiting for a charging station to open up. As @SteveH says, on vacation, time is money. I wouldn't want to waste it waiting for an outlet to open up.

It could be an adventure. In any case I looked up what's available in the Disneyland garages and lots and there's plenty of those, although most are Level 2.

Here's the Toy Story Lot:

And Mickey and Friends:

For the OP I'd probably research ChargePoint since they're the biggest in terms of J1772 chargers. But they're not the only ones out there.

Another question would be the hotel since free charging at a hotel can be really nice, although often they're limited and taken.

 

[Mle8308]

It could be an adventure. In any case I looked up what's available in the Disneyland garages and lots and there's plenty of those, although most are Level 2.

Here's the Toy Story Lot:

And Mickey and Friends:

For the OP I'd probably research ChargePoint since they're the biggest in terms of J1772 chargers. But they're not the only ones out there.

Another question would be the hotel since free charging at a hotel can be really nice, although often they're limited and taken.

That's fantastic that DL has that many charging stations! Not the same at WDW, and they do charge for charging at WDW. The most updated info on the WDW site says they have 10 stations total - though I think that's outdated. I remember seeing more at Epcot, but not nearly as many as in your photos! I still wouldn't want to deal with the stress of it on vacation, but it's fine for those who do. And you have provided great information for people who are interested!

 

[bcla]

That's fantastic that DL has that many charging stations! Not the same at WDW, and they do charge at WDW. The most updated info on the WDW site says they have 10 stations total - though I think that's outdated. I remember seeing more at Epcot, but not nearly as many as in your photos! I still wouldn't want to deal with the stress of it on vacation, but it's fine for those who do. And you have provided great information for people who are interested!

I guess it's California. However, I have no firsthand experience using ChargePoint. However, that's the company Disneyland chose to work with, so I'd think that would be the most convenient unless the OP doesn't plan on parking at Disneyland.

Only borrowing a Tesla and that's just so easy. The only issue would be that there aren't Tesla Superchargers near Disneyland, but there are several in Anaheim and the surrounding area. They also charge quickly, which should help when there's an hour to spare.

I suppose a lot would depend on where the OP is staying and how much driving is planned. If the vehicle is delivered with a decent charge, it may be possible to get around then charge before taking it back. However, I'd recommend learning early on how to use the charging stations - especially on setting up payment. Learning early would be much better than trying it out for the first time hours before needing to return a car.

I believe Hertz has a penalty for returning an EV at under 70% charge, although that may differ if it's delivered with less than that (which can happen). At the very least it would need to have that much charge when returned if it was under 70%. I think there are some renter who will just accept the penalty if they can't manage to charge it to near full before returning it.

 

[Lumpy1106]

I drive a 2012 Volt and have used the DL Chargepoint stations. Last I checked they charge $1.50/hour and they are level 2. You do still have to pay for parking on top of that. Most of the other Chargepoint chargers I have used charge $1/hour, so there is a healthy Disney mark-up.

Chargepoint is BY FAR the most prevalent charging stations in So Cal and I have found them to be pretty reliable. There are exceptions and that is almost 100% due to vandalism. For example, there are Chargepoint chargers at the ice rink at the Great Park in Irvine (an otherwise great neighborhood) and absolutely none of them work. People break the tabs off mostly. I have not seen that at all on the Disney lot chargers - is there ever a moment you are not watched on Disney property? LSS - if all you are doing is going from the airport to Disney, I would not worry about having a charge to get around. Download the Chargepoint app - it's very easy to set up. It was set up so that you had to pre-fill the credit and it would draw from that, then re-fill the credit when you dropped below a certain threshold. I think there has been a recent change where you pay-as-you-go though - no more automatic refill charge. That could be a real issue if you are only going to use Chargepoint once then never again, so check.

What keeps me from renting an electric car is how do you "top off" the charge when you return the car, and do you get penalized if you do not? Charging the car takes time, and personally topping the gas tank off is the last thing I do, and at the most convenient gas station on the way to the airport. No big deal, it takes 5 minutes - now do electric. See?

 

[bcla]

What keeps me from renting an electric car is how do you "top off" the charge when you return the car, and do you get penalized if you do not? Charging the car takes time, and personally topping the gas tank off is the last thing I do, and at the most convenient gas station on the way to the airport. No big deal, it takes 5 minutes - now do electric. See?

Hertz has a $35 fee. They recommend returning it with as much charge as when delivered. I don't know how it would be possible if somehow they had it at 100% (charging onsite) since it would be very difficult for anyone to get it to a charger.

They probably have more specific terms than here at their blog.

https://www.hertz.com/us/en/blog/el...to-return-an-ev-rental-car-with-a-full-charge​

Can I Return My EV Rental With a Low Battery?​

Yes, you can. However, if you return your EV at a charge level below what it was at pick-up, we will change you a simple $35 Recharge Fee. A low EV battery can lead to delays and add to our turnaround times for other customers.​

The 70% I quoted earlier was probably for Avis.

I found the official rental terms. It sounds like 80% on return would probably be adequate since that's what they attempt for customer delivery.

https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/rese...plates/rentalTerms.jsp?KEYWORD=TESLA&EOAG=LAX​

EV CHARGE LEVEL AT PICK-UP AND RETURN– Hertz will endeavor to provide the EV at time of vehicle pick-up with a battery charge of 80%. You are required to return the EV with a minimum charge of 10%. You are responsible to maintain a sufficient charge on the EV during your rental. You will be responsible for the cost of any tow if the EV is not drivable due to a low battery. You are not authorized to call a private tow on Hertz’ behalf. All tows of the EV must be by flatbed and must be arranged through Hertz Emergency Roadside Assistance. If the EV is overdue for return Hertz may remotely disable and recover the EV.​

 

[Lumpy1106]

Hertz has a $35 fee. They recommend returning it with as much charge as when delivered. I don't know how it would be possible if somehow they had it at 100% (charging onsite) since it would be very difficult for anyone to get it to a charger.

They probably have more specific terms than here at their blog.

https://www.hertz.com/us/en/blog/el...to-return-an-ev-rental-car-with-a-full-charge​

Can I Return My EV Rental With a Low Battery?​

Yes, you can. However, if you return your EV at a charge level below what it was at pick-up, we will change you a simple $35 Recharge Fee. A low EV battery can lead to delays and add to our turnaround times for other customers.​

The 70% I quoted earlier was probably for Avis.

I found the official rental terms. It sounds like 80% on return would probably be adequate since that's what they attempt for customer delivery.

https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/rese...plates/rentalTerms.jsp?KEYWORD=TESLA&EOAG=LAX​

EV CHARGE LEVEL AT PICK-UP AND RETURN– Hertz will endeavor to provide the EV at time of vehicle pick-up with a battery charge of 80%. You are required to return the EV with a minimum charge of 10%. You are responsible to maintain a sufficient charge on the EV during your rental. You will be responsible for the cost of any tow if the EV is not drivable due to a low battery. You are not authorized to call a private tow on Hertz’ behalf. All tows of the EV must be by flatbed and must be arranged through Hertz Emergency Roadside Assistance. If the EV is overdue for return Hertz may remotely disable and recover the EV.​

Sounds like what Enterprise has started doing with all their rentals. They don't necessarily give you a car with a full tank - if it's 1/2 full when you get it, they ask you to return it 1/2 full or more. I don't think they ever charge you if it is less though - after all, they aren't paying for gas either way. So - as long as the next guy can get the car off the lot and to a reasonable place to refill it - no harm done. Sound like AC cars are going to be the same.

 

[bcla]

Sounds like what Enterprise has started doing with all their rentals. They don't necessarily give you a car with a full tank - if it's 1/2 full when you get it, they ask you to return it 1/2 full or more. I don't think they ever charge you if it is less though - after all, they aren't paying for gas either way. So - as long as the next guy can get the car off the lot and to a reasonable place to refill it - no harm done. Sound like AC cars are going to be the same.

I think I only got one less than "full" tank once. However, that was for a corporate rental where I was told they had a special deal with the rental agency and I should just return it without fueling. Any additional fuel came out of my per diem that I got for everything. A full tank would have been nice.

However, my rental agreements always had a punitive fuel price. Except for that one time I've always had a full tank and returned it full. Or at least where it looked full enough on the fuel gauge since I had to drive from a nearby gas station. But if they didn't consider it full they would have then filled the tank and charged the price on the agreement.

Here's a sample rental agreement from Hertz. It's $8.99 a gallon. I tried inline linking the direct image but all I got was an X image.

https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/prod...eement.jsp&leftNavUserSelection=globNav_3_5_1

 

[_19disnA]

If traveling on vacation internationally to the USA I would never recommend renting an EV. Way too many things to go wrong and one more complication to your vacation. There are some other threads elsewhere on this site discussing the same issue. All of them, even from people who own an EV do NOT recommend them as a rental car in an area you aren't familiar with.

There are currently no national EV charging standards in the USA, so even if you find an available/working charger, you car's connector may not be compatible with it. I think Hertz renters are figuring that out so probably the reason they aren't popular as rentals. I also saw a recent article where Hertz is back-tracking on their plan to expand the fleet. The real world experience of actual renters will determine what the demand might be.

Another of those ideas that seem great in theory but the reality is something else.

If you hookup your EV at a Disney theme park, are you expected to walk back to your car to move it elsewhere once the charge is complete? Do people actually do that?

 

[bcla]

If you hookup your EV at a Disney theme park, are you expected to walk back to your car to move it elsewhere once the charge is complete? Do people actually do that?

It depends on the charging system. At least with ChargePoint it depends on the operator of the lot/garage what they charge, where ChargePoint is just the equipment provider/facilitator. The lot operator decides on the rates and whether or not there will be an "idle fee". Disneyland (which works with ChargePoint) says that they don't have idle fees (or any hourly fee) and the cost will strictly be for the power consumed. That makes a good deal of sense given that it's theme park parking where most users park and don't come back until ready to leave. Plus most guests have paid a hefty parking fee. I think I read somewhere that there's a minimum $1.50 cost to connect.

https://plandisney.disney.go.com/qu...electric-vehicle-chargers-during-stay-507660/​

As a fellow electric vehicle driver, I’m very pleased to share that electric vehicle charging stations are available throughout the Disneyland Resort, including for overnight parking at the three Disneyland Resort Hotels, for daytime parking for theme park visitors, and for hourly parking at the Downtown Disney District. The Disneyland Resort is serviced by the ChargePoint network of electric vehicle chargers. In addition to the regular daily, hourly, or valet parking rates assessed by Disney at the parking area entrances or exits, electric charging fees are applicable. A ChargePoint account is required to enable vehicle charging at the designated spaces. You may use the ChargePoint app or website to locate charging stations as well as review their real-time availability and charging rates.​

​

Electric charging is based on the number of kilowatt-hours used with a minimum cost. There is no fee for idling in the charging spaces after your vehicle is fully charged, though fellow electric vehicle owners greatly appreciate typical vehicle charging etiquette, especially at the hotel locations. And the ChargePoint app includes a waitlist feature that can notify you when your vehicle is fully charged or when a charging location becomes available. Please consult the ChargePoint service directly for the latest information and rates.​