Should we rent an electric vehicle in Alberta?

[MarcoRP]

In August, we will be going on a 3 week trip to Alberta, where we will be visiting the Rockies as well as the Badlands. We were thinking of renting an electric vehicle, except that there several questions first that some of you might be able to answer.

• Are there any companies that rent them?
• Would range be a problem? (considering the mountain terrain)
• Wouldn’t it be cheaper to use gas? (seen that it’s Alberta!)

I’ve already checked PlugShare (no kidding) and there are some good places to charge for free (peavey Mart, hotels, etc) but there are also those new fast chargers which seem expensive.

Then again, we could rent a PHEV, but, as per the first question do they offer any? I was thinking that we would enjoy something like the Mitsubishi Outlander.

Thanks, M. R. PlugShare

 

[ewoodrick]

You just have to look, but I doubt it will be cheaper. The daily costs is usually quite high compared to an ICE.
If you knew where you are going, can map out the charging, and accept the delays, then you might have a great trip. But it sounds as if you might be looking at some long distances and that may add a little pressure to a vacation, instead of reducing pressure.

I'd probably go get a nice big wasteful vehicle and sit back and enjoy the travels. Hopefully in a few years, I can answer otherwise.

 

[bpjod]

There are some Tesla vehicles for rent on Turo in the Calgary region. Turo is like Air B&B but for vehicles, if you're not familiar with it. Canmore is a good base for exploring the mountains and has a SuperCharger station. If you venture further, there are lots of campgrounds with RV hookups in and around the mountains, but they're often fully booked in the summer in the more popular regions and I have no idea about their charging policies, something you'll have to research before heading out. Gas here is in the $1.3x range right now, often it's more pricey in the mountains.