TMC is an independent, primarily volunteer organization that relies on ad revenue to cover its operating costs. Please consider whitelisting TMC on your ad blocker and becoming a Supporting Member. For more info: Support TMC
  1. TMC is currently READ ONLY.
    Click here for more info.

Renting an EV in Norway: not easy

Discussion in 'Norway' started by ecarfan, Jun 5, 2019.

  1. ecarfan

    ecarfan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2013
    Messages:
    19,181
    Location:
    San Mateo, CA
    As someone who has only driven electric for many years now, the idea of renting an ICE has zero appeal. I searched various Norwegian car rental companies and to my surprise (given the high percentage of new cars sales in Norway that are electric) the only EV rentals I can find are Leaf, i3 and a few very expensive Model S. The i3 range is inadequate (I know about the gas extender), and the Leaf is marginal.

    I am hoping that by 2020 there will be Model 3 rentals available in Norway. I think they would be very popular, and far more affordable than an S.
     
  2. 9837264723849

    9837264723849 Member

    Joined:
    Aug 24, 2014
    Messages:
    923
    Location:
    France
    I tried renting a Tesla today on Nabobil.no - Privat leiebil i ditt nabolag. but lost a lot of time – searching for the right car in multiple cities, uploading ID card and driving license, verifying phone number, asking questions to owners, etc) only to learn hours later that Nabobil only accepts renters with Nordiv driving license! It took them half a day day to let me know about this limitation which they don't display anywhere on their website and during the onboarding/search process. I guess they just want to build a user base and are okay with wasting people's time.

    Not cool :mad:

    I couldn't find a Tesla near Bodø on any other website (preferably a Model 3 but an S would be nice too). If anyone has a plan to rent one (first week of September 2019, ideally near Bodo/Narvik), please share!
     
    • Disagree x 1
  3. ecarfan

    ecarfan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2013
    Messages:
    19,181
    Location:
    San Mateo, CA
    I did some online research and found similar stories. But I also found information implying that US drivers licenses are accepted. See Foreign driving licences in Norway | Statens vegvesen
    Driving in Norway with a US driving license
    Is US driver license good for renting Cars from Norway ? - Norway Forum - TripAdvisor

    But back to the topic of this thread: why are there so few EVs for rent in Norway?
     
  4. Aellinsar

    Aellinsar Member

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2017
    Messages:
    233
    Location:
    Ohio
    I just got back from a week in Norway and fount the same thing. I could rent a Volvo for $300 for a week, or I could rent a Model S for $180 per day! We went with the Volvo. But I missed driving my model 3, particularly around Oslo where ~1 in 10 cars was a Tesla by my daughter's rough count.

    That sad, we drove ~850 miles around Norway and the added difficulty of finding charging stations in a foreign country might be enough to discourage the average renter. I'm sure Hertz/Avis/etc. dont' want to deal with the angry customers who get stranded because they don't understand the differences in driving an EV.
     
    • Informative x 1
  5. Christine600

    Christine600 Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2018
    Messages:
    1,114
    Location:
    Scandiwegian
    I pretended to live in the US and found two EV's at this site:

    Rent a Car

    BMW i3 at NOK 1040 or $121/day

    Tesla Model S at NOK 2244 or $261/day

    Their best fossil offer is a VW Up for NOK 468 or $55/day.

    Doing the opposite - trying to rent an EV in the US as a Norwegian is also quite expensive.
     
    • Informative x 1
  6. caldersj

    caldersj Member

    Joined:
    Aug 6, 2018
    Messages:
    7
    Location:
    Northamptonshire
    I had the same experience on Nabobil when looking for a Tesla rental in Bergen to get to the fjords, although to be fair they did make it clear you need a license from a Nordic country before they would let me sign up and request a rental, which of course I couldn't. Apparently a recent policy change. Such a shame, as there was a guy with a Model 3 Performance available for under $200 / day up to 500km. Haven't managed to find another Tesla to rent in Bergen. Looks like it's back to fossil juice for a while.
     
  7. Christine600

    Christine600 Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2018
    Messages:
    1,114
    Location:
    Scandiwegian
    Perhaps it will get easier.

    US based Getaround just bought Norwegian car sharer Nabobil.
     
  8. 9837264723849

    9837264723849 Member

    Joined:
    Aug 24, 2014
    Messages:
    923
    Location:
    France
    I ended up renting a BMW i3 on Sixt for NOK 5,700 (8 days end of August). Range should be good enough: the car is the 120 Ah version (250+ km of range according to the agency) so we should be able to do Andenes – Reine with only 10 min of charge at mid trip, if A Better Routeplanner can be trusted.
     
    • Like x 2
  9. PhilDavid

    PhilDavid Active Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2018
    Messages:
    2,552
    Location:
    Philadelphia
    #9 PhilDavid, Jul 6, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2019
    Surprising how Europe's largest market for Tesla vehicles hardly has any viable Teslas for rent.

    I think this is a great income opportunity for Tesla to rent out their inventory vehicles and make a nice profit for renting Model 3 vehicles. Seems like a week of rental will cover a month of depreciation.

    I think they have a great rental business and perhaps they can limit the rentals to Tesla owners for now? When we travel, we would love to be able to rent a Tesla and it would be great to pick up a Tesla rental from the local Tesla gallery.
     
    • Like x 1
  10. DCEV

    DCEV Member

    Joined:
    Mar 25, 2019
    Messages:
    845
    Location:
    Washington DC
    Has anyone rented a Tesla in Norway with SixT?
     
  11. Watts_Up

    Watts_Up Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2019
    Messages:
    3,092
    Location:
    In a galaxy far, far away
    I was just looking at Norway Sixt and noticed a comment under Oslo Helsfyr

    So far the best what you can get in Oslo car rental universe.
    Newest cars, tidy and clean, a bit higher price is worth the standard.
    They have Tesla X available, which is masterpiece on wheels
    (little bit overequiped and maybe too much advanced but definitely the best engine under the shiny glassy roof).
    Go for Sixt if you wanna reach the top definitely
    -- ĽUBOMÍR K.
     
  12. Aellinsar

    Aellinsar Member

    Joined:
    Aug 2, 2017
    Messages:
    233
    Location:
    Ohio
    The reviews of Sixt (both in Oslo and the US) have scared me off. Way too many horror stories for me to risk the few $$ savings.
     
  13. PhilDavid

    PhilDavid Active Member

    Joined:
    May 22, 2018
    Messages:
    2,552
    Location:
    Philadelphia
    I have rented for SixT before but their customer service is awful and the promises they make about the car type sometimes end up being nonsense. The biggest reason I have rented with them is because they have nicer cars and you can buy full insurance from them.

    When we travel, we always pay extra for full insurance. I worry about our car at home and that's not a worry I want to take with me while on vacation :p
     
  14. DCEV

    DCEV Member

    Joined:
    Mar 25, 2019
    Messages:
    845
    Location:
    Washington DC
    So really no viable Tesla rental options in the country with the greatest Teslas per capita?
     
  15. Christine600

    Christine600 Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2018
    Messages:
    1,114
    Location:
    Scandiwegian
    Met a British couple at a supercharger in Norway. They had rented a TM3 in Oslo.

    Unfortunately I forgot to ask them where. But it is possible. Sorry I can't give better help.
     
  16. caldersj

    caldersj Member

    Joined:
    Aug 6, 2018
    Messages:
    7
    Location:
    Northamptonshire
    Update: If you are travelling to Bergen, you can do as I did and rent a Model 3 from Rent-a-Wreck. Yes, I know, the name doesn't inspire confidence, but the guy told me it is 'kind of an ironic name'. They only have the one Tesla as far as I could tell, so best to book early. And while the car was fine, don't expect a premium experience. No swish booth in the arrivals area of the airport. Instead, a 10-minute walk to an obscure corner of an adjacent industrial estate. The staff are friendly though, and like everyone in Norway, speak excellent English. On the return, the guy gave me a free ride back to the terminal, which was a nice gesture. He is a Tesla fan with his own Model X. Happy to give more info if anyone is interested.
     
    • Informative x 2
  17. DCEV

    DCEV Member

    Joined:
    Mar 25, 2019
    Messages:
    845
    Location:
    Washington DC
    Bjorn should start a Tesla rental business :)
     
  18. PLUS EV

    PLUS EV Running on Empty

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2016
    Messages:
    5,767
    Location:
    Seattle
    Any update on this?

    I'm looking to rent a Tesla for an upcoming trip to Germany. I'm also interested in possibly road tripping through Scandinavia and/or the Benelux region, but Germany is a must for this trip. So I'm open to picking up at or near a major airport in one of those countries. I'd probably prefer a Model S, but I'd be open to a Model X or Model 3 as well as long as I get FREE supercharging of course :)
     
  19. DCEV

    DCEV Member

    Joined:
    Mar 25, 2019
    Messages:
    845
    Location:
    Washington DC
    Wish all Tesla Service Centers also rented cars.

    It would be like an extended test drive for Tesla to sell cars with the person test driving paying Tesla.
     
  20. holmgang

    holmgang Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2019
    Messages:
    1,235
    Location:
    eu
    There are about a billion Model 3s at the Gardemon rental lots.
    Although the rental companies have poor online reviews, this is the same of all rental companies everywhere!!!*, and i've had no issues at all with Hertz and Europcar @ OSL.

    *excluding independent renting companies whose reviews are a tier below the big international brands
    **each location is franchised to independent owners, but ive pretty much have had no issues with the international brands, anywhere
     
    • Informative x 1

Share This Page

  • About Us

    Formed in 2006, Tesla Motors Club (TMC) was the first independent online Tesla community. Today it remains the largest and most dynamic community of Tesla enthusiasts. Learn more.
  • Do you value your experience at TMC? Consider becoming a Supporting Member of Tesla Motors Club. As a thank you for your contribution, you'll get nearly no ads in the Community and Groups sections. Additional perks are available depending on the level of contribution. Please visit the Account Upgrades page for more details.


    SUPPORT TMC