Renting an EV in New Zealand

ecarfan · Jun 2, 2018

Hoping you Kiwi EV enthusiasts can help me out.

I’m planning a trip to NZ in July 2019, probably about two weeks on the North Island (I’ve spent a few weeks on the South Island in the past) before heading to Tonga to snorkel with humpback whales and do some scuba diving. Considering renting a car and of course do not want an ICE. Would love to rent a Tesla but at US$199/day it is costly for a 10 day rental. Tesla Hire NZ | Electric Vehicle Hire New Zealand | Snap Rentals – Snap Rentals . This company rents Leafs but their range is inadequate for my purposes Electric Vehicles - Rentals, Experience, Service & Sales - Blue Cars Ltd - New Zealand

So am looking for other EVs to rent in NZ and trying to understand the EV charging situation there. Being an American Tesla owner, I’m not familiar with the charging standards in use outside the US.

This company rents the VW e-Golf for about $75/day Europcar Electric Vehicles . It can only go about 110 miles on a charge but I think I could make that work. Their web page says “There are now over 60 fast charging stations in NZ which have the European standard plug (compatible with the e-Golf)”.

I assume that the “European standard plug” is what is known as the Mennekes Type 2 connector? Type 2 connector - Wikipedia

So I assume that rental e-Golf can use CCS/SAE chargers. I’m looking at PlugShare to see how many of those chargers are available on the North Island. Looks like a reasonable amount. But in addition to those chargers I will want to charge where I’m staying overnight. Can an e-Golf charge from a residential outlet, and would that result in a useful amount of range if plugged in overnight for say 12 hours? The battery size is just 36kWh. NZ residential outlets are 220-240V but I can’t find many references for what the typical amperage is. Is it 16A, or less than that? If 16A that would be about 3.6kW which could charge an e-Golf battery overnight.

I found news stories published in 2017 about Snap Rentals offering a Hyundai IoniQ EV but their website doesn’t show that vehicle as being available Vehicle Rent, Vehicle Hire | Snap Rentals NZ – Snap Rentals .

Miggy · Jun 3, 2018

Hi, I would go back to Snap Rentals and ask if they could discount for a ten day hire and that would be at NZ$199 not US$199.
Also see ChargeNet NZ – Electric Vehicle Charging Network for more information on charging in NZ.
Good luck and unless you want to spend a lot of time at chargers I would go for the Tesla.

Lozza12 · Jun 3, 2018

ecarfan said:
Hoping you Kiwi EV enthusiasts can help me out. I’m planning a trip to NZ in July 2019, probably about two weeks on the North Island (I’ve spent a few weeks on the South Island in the past) before heading to Tonga to snorkel with humpback whales and do some scuba diving. Considering renting a car and of course do not want an ICE. Would love to rent a Tesla but at US$199/day it is costly for a 10 day rental. Tesla Hire NZ | Electric Vehicle Hire New Zealand | Snap Rentals – Snap Rentals . This company rents Leafs but their range is inadequate for my purposes Electric Vehicles - Rentals, Experience, Service & Sales - Blue Cars Ltd - New Zealand

So am looking for other EVs to rent in NZ and trying to understand the EV charging situation there. Being an American Tesla owner, I’m not familiar with the charging standards in use outside the US.

This company rents the VW e-Golf for about $75/day Europcar Electric Vehicles . It can only go about 110 miles on a charge but I think I could make that work. Their web page says “There are now over 60 fast charging stations in NZ which have the European standard plug (compatible with the e-Golf)”.

I assume that the “European standard plug” is what is known as the Mennekes Type 2 connector? Type 2 connector - Wikipedia

So I assume that rental e-Golf can use CCS/SAE chargers. I’m looking at PlugShare to see how many of those chargers are available on the North Island. Looks like a reasonable amount. But in addition to those chargers I will want to charge where I’m staying overnight. Can an e-Golf charge from a residential outlet, and would that result in a useful amount of range if plugged in overnight for say 12 hours? The battery size is just 36kWh. NZ residential outlets are 220-240V but I can’t find many references for what the typical amperage is. Is it 16A, or less than that? If 16A that would be about 3.6kW which could charge an e-Golf battery overnight.

I found news stories published in 2017 about Snap Rentals offering a Hyundai IoniQ EV but their website doesn’t show that vehicle as being available Vehicle Rent, Vehicle Hire | Snap Rentals NZ – Snap Rentals .

I agree with Miggy about trying to get a discount on the Tesla. Using an e-Golf is doable but you will be fast charging a lot especially with our hilly countryside. ChargeNet coverage of 50kW DC chademo/CCS is good but not deep, meaning all it takes is 1 other EV to be charging and your journey just took 20-30mins longer.

Slow charging at home or at motels will be 220v AC at 10 amps but wiring can cope with 16 amps, using the caravan/ blue commando socket. Mennekes Type 2 is the offical slow charging standard but 99% of EVs in NZ are second hand Leafs using the J1772/Type 1, so lots of those still about.

Happy to answer any other questions.

ecarfan · Jun 3, 2018

Miggy said:
Hi, I would go back to Snap Rentals and ask if they could discount for a ten day hire and that would be at NZ$199 not US$199.
Also see ChargeNet NZ – Electric Vehicle Charging Network for more information on charging in NZ.

That’s a good idea, maybe I can get a better daily rate for a long term rental. And thanks for the link to ChargeNet NZ.

My current plan is to stay at one location in the Lake Taupo area and make short day trips from there. Won’t be doing any long driving trips, but of course more range is always better. By summer 2019 there may be more EV rental choices than there are now.

Lozza12 said:
Slow charging at home or at motels will be 220v AC at 10 amps but wiring can cope with 16 amps, using the caravan/ blue commando socket.

Thanks, can you give me a link to a page showing that kind of socket? I’m not familiar with it.

Lozza12 · Jun 3, 2018

Staying in Taupo with the Tesla is a smart move because one of our three SC sites is located there (see pic). There is also a 50kW Chademo/CCS there as well.

Blue commando is used for caravans/ Winnebago electricity supply (see pic). My Leaf uses this plug type for mobile charging and is the only way to get 16 amps, other than using a proper EVSE.

ecarfan · Dec 16, 2018

Miggy said:
Hi, I would go back to Snap Rentals and ask if they could discount for a ten day hire and that would be at NZ$199 not US$199.
Also see ChargeNet NZ – Electric Vehicle Charging Network for more information on charging in NZ.
Good luck and unless you want to spend a lot of time at chargers I would go for the Tesla.

SNAP Rentals has quoted me the astounding price of $4,334.90 for 18 days and my request for a larger off-season discount has been met with silence:
—————————————————
Rental Rates and Fees
05/07/2019-21/07/2019 18 Days @$189.05 per Day (5% discount included - Valued) $3,402.90
Full Tesla Insurance $49.00 per day $882.00
Airport Entry $0.00
Airport Entry $0.00
Premium Location Fee $50.00
Total Cost of Rental NZD $4,334.90
—————————————————

That is way too much money, even for a Model S. So now I’m seriously considering the e-Golf. Europcar Electric Vehicles The quoted rental price is NZD $1591.55, just over a third of the cost of renting a Model S. I’ll miss driving a Tesla (it’s all I’ve driven for over four years now) but at least it will be electric.

@Lozza12 thanks for your advice about CCS charging in New Zealand. As near as I can tell the e-Golf has optional 50kW DC charging capability (CCS and CHAdeMO) and I assume that the cars that Europcar rents include that capability, otherwise the car would difficult to use for long distance travel. I read this page which offers some details about e-Golf charging VW e-Golf Charging Guide - How to charge a VW e-Golf

Looking on Plugshare I see quite a few CCS charging locations, though of course they generally only have one charging station which is certainly not optimal.

Do you recommend that I set up an account on Chargenet and Unison? Will that take care of all the CCS stations I am likely to use?

My North Island New Zealand trip will start and end in Auckland of course, and I’m considering spending time in Taupo so to get there I will have to stop and charge mid-way.

The e-Golf will only AC charge at 7.2kW maximum but since the battery is only 36kW it’s easy to get a full charge overnight at the 230-240V residential standard in NZ (so much better than the 120V residential standard in the US) . I’m researching places to stay on AirBnB so I need to make sure that they have a place to park the car that is close to an AC outlet. I would like to know how long the e-Golf charging cable is; more research!

Thanks everyone for your comments.

lonewolf313 · Dec 16, 2018

ecarfan said:
SNAP Rentals has quoted me the astounding price of $4,334.90 for 18 days and my request for a larger off-season discount has been met with silence:
—————————————————
Rental Rates and Fees
05/07/2019-21/07/2019 18 Days @$189.05 per Day (5% discount included - Valued) $3,402.90
Full Tesla Insurance $49.00 per day $882.00
Airport Entry $0.00
Airport Entry $0.00
Premium Location Fee $50.00
Total Cost of Rental NZD $4,334.90
—————————————————

That is way too much money, even for a Model S. So now I’m seriously considering the e-Golf. Europcar Electric Vehicles The quoted rental price is NZD $1591.55, just over a third of the cost of renting a Model S. I’ll miss driving a Tesla (it’s all I’ve driven for over four years now) but at least it will be electric.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

This is maybe too much money in the US because you have hundreds of thousands of Tesla Model S cars around the country but in NZ or AUS where the Model S have limited numbers, the price is comparable to other luxury cars available to rent. Remember that the new price of a Model S here in AUS starts from $150,000 to $270,000 ($130,000 to $230,000 in NZ)

I recently rented out a 2016 RWD 70 Model S for 8 days. Total cost AU$2150 (with excess km's) which seemed reasonable to me when compared to other similar luxury rentals available here

deadsled · Dec 17, 2018

I have rented a VW e-golf from Europcar in NZ and was impressed with everything - the car, the cheap rental price, the public fast charging network etc.

Request a RFID token from Europcar when you pick up the car, and then all you have to do is set up an account with Chargenet.nz that is associated with the RFID token number. Then you can use the public chargers.

Enjoy!

Lozza12 · Dec 17, 2018

Yeah what Deadsled said (that rhymes!) - you can set up a ChargeNet account tagged to your credit card without getting the fob which means you activate the charger using your smart phone. Presumably you will be on mobile roaming etc etc.

There’s no such thing as a Unison account as their DCFCs are free, as are most installed by the electricity lines companies. Or they are activated via ChargeNet.

PlugShare will show all CCS/Chademo fast chargers and the car should come with either a type 1 or type 2 slow charging mobile cable. Most motels will let you charge for free if it’s <$5. Electricity is about 15-20c per kWh.

Snap Rentals are hard to reach via their call centre but try emailing Nea via [email protected]. She’s helpful and a real live human even though she doesn’t know much about EVs.

The RosieHeart · Dec 17, 2018

I have 2 Tesla Xs. One in the US, the other right hand drive in Auckland . July would work as that is when i go to the States. You can contact me via Skype under the name BusinessWorks
Only if this is allowed by Tesla Motor Club.

meloccom · Dec 18, 2018

The RosieHeart said:
I have 2 Tesla Xs. One in the US, the other right hand drive in Auckland . July would work as that is when i go to the States. You can contact me via Skype under the name BusinessWorks
Only if this is allowed by Tesla Motor Club.

Advertising on TMC is not allowed unless you become a sponsor.
It’s best to keep financial conversations via direct message or via Skype.

ecarfan · Dec 21, 2018

Lozza12 said:
Yeah what Deadsled said (that rhymes!) - you can set up a ChargeNet account tagged to your credit card without getting the fob which means you activate the charger using your smart phone. Presumably you will be on mobile roaming etc etc.

Thanks, I will have a local SIM so that sounds good.

The RosieHeart said:
I have 2 Tesla Xs. One in the US, the other right hand drive in Auckland . July would work as that is when i go to the States. You can contact me via Skype under the name BusinessWorks.

thanks! Sent you a PM.

Red40 · Dec 1, 2019

I'm taking my family to New Zealand in January for a couple of months. We're renting an RV for most of the time, but have a free week (Jan 9-17), when we don't have a vehicle booked yet. As a long time Tesla owner (S, 3, 3P, plus a RAV4 EV), I'd love to find a way to rent a Tesla. I'd also be open to a car swap for one of my vehicles if you're ever in the San Francisco Bay Area and need a car yourself!

Let me know if you have any ideas for me. Thanks!

Ecoli · Dec 4, 2019

Model S for hire
Rental Cars - EV Rentals in New Zealand - Blue Cars Limited
Tesla Hire NZ | Electric Vehicle Hire New Zealand
Snap rentals claim to be the 1st to offer model S for hire in NZ
that's not correct Carl at Blue cars was hiring out his P85 model S
years before them.
Tesla Model S Rental New Zealand - hire luxury sports car NZ
Model S P85. they also claim NZ’s only Tesla available for hire which is incorrect.

Rent my Tesla Model S75 Luxury, book it today! It's safe, secure and insured to rent through MyCarYourRental.
Model S 75 for hire

Tesla Model X 100 D for hire in Springfield
Model X for hire Springfield Canterbury

Queenstown Tesla Private Tours - Nomad Safaris - The Professional Adventurers
offers tours using model x in Queenstown

chargenet CEO Steve West used to rent out his Tesla model S via Bluecar. I don't know if he still does.

khayyam · Dec 4, 2019

Interesting that there aren't really and X's available to rent. As a 3 owner I have no need to rent an S, but I can see situations where an X would be handy for a bit.

RobDickinson · Dec 4, 2019

Theres a model 3 on MyCarYourRental.com for $245 a day.

ecarfan · Dec 17, 2019

RobDickinson said:
Theres a model 3 on MyCarYourRental.com for $245 a day.

Hi Rob; thanks for the link, I did not know about that company. When I went to the page to “Register” at Users and set up an account, before submitting my information I clicked on the Terms and Conditions link because I wanted to read them. That link goes to this page https://www.mycaryourrental.com/page/terms_conditions_web which does not show the terms and conditions. Weird. I would like to read that information before registering. I searched the site and found them here https://www.mycaryourrental.com/page/terms_conditions . The terms seem acceptable though I did not see anything about whether or not that company will share users information with other companies. Not sure if that is allowed under NZ law or not.

I did go to this page Home and was amused to read this: “Renter refills the tank and returns the car.”

If I translate that to read “Renter returns the car with a full charge” that often may not be possible. Fortunately the Model 3 has enough range that in most cases it should be possible to return the car with the battery at a fairly high charge level.

Thanks again, I’ll check this site before my next visit to NZ!

PlugnDriveNZ · Dec 29, 2019

Hi, the post above refers to our Model 3, we prefer the car returned with some charge especially if it is going out again soon but it is not essential. mycaryourrental and yourdrive both have our and other tesla's listed. They are peer car sharing sites. The link to the website terms and conditions is working now must have been a temporary fault - here is the link: https://www.mycaryourrental.com/page/terms_conditions.

ecarfan · May 11, 2021

Reviving this thread to see if it is now possible to rent a Model 3 in New Zealand. Will also do some web searches and report back...

and it looks like it is! GoRentals for NZ$300/day in peak season (Dec/Jan).

Or $195/day at Rent my TESLA MODEL 3 Sedan, book it today! It's safe, secure and insured to rent through MyCarYourRental.

Same car appears to be available here as well Tesla HIre NZ | EV hire NZ | Self drive tours NZ

Matt_NZ · May 22, 2021

Yes, Go Rental has a fleet of Model 3 around the country so you're not restricted to just an Auckland pickup. Even Dunedin has them

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