Plugging in to a rental

This story first appeared in the June issue of EVtalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

Remember Piri Weepu? Former All Black, World Cup hero, star of the ‘I’ve got this’ meme, and now Maori TV television host.

When I stopped on Wellington’s stunning South Coast to photograph Europcar’s Volkswagen e-Golf on a boat ramp, Weepu and some mates pulled up wanting to drop their boat into the water.

But instead of hurrying me off the ramp, the affable Weepu began to ask about the car, showing genuine interest in the idea, and the appealing concept of not having to pay for fuel any more. It may seem an aside to this story – but interest from such kiwi bloke royalty in electric vehicles must be a good sign, right?

Europcar has been supplying e-Golfs as part of its fleet since late last year, first as part of its Electric Day Pass scheme, and latterly as a paid for rental available to all customers. Pricing is reasonable – not dissimilar to renting a small SUV, and by the time you factor in that you don’t need to pay for fuel, it is even more appealing. The need to stop and put $6 worth of 91 into your rental after a day in Wellington – gone.

Staff will provide you with a ChargeNet fob if you need one. When was the last time your rental car came with a fuel card?

I wholeheartedly agree with Europcar’s choice of the e-Golf for this job. Why? Because it is just a Golf. No flash tricks, unique styling or ludicrous modes here – you jump in, push the start button and go, just like a normal car. There wasn’t even the need for rental staff to brief me on the car.

That is not to say the experience is boring, the e-Golf is still an interesting drive for those not used to electric vehicles – it is a fantastic vehicle – but a rental car service desk is not the place for a learning curve.

For city work, and even some road trips, the e-Golf has plenty of range. You can get a reliable 200km out of the car and its 35.8kW hour battery. Need more? It DC charges at 40kW giving a 45 minute time to 80%. A full AC charge takes just short of 11 hours.

With 100kW and 280Nm on tap, the e-Golf takes just short of 10 seconds to get to 100km/h. Eco mode drops available power to 70kW and Eco+ to 40kW, reducing performance but increasing range. The e-Golf feels very planted on the road, corners flatly and rides well.

Inside, you get comfortable fabric seats with good space front and rear, a good-sized boot and a lot of creature comforts. Climate control air-conditioning is standard, as is smartphone mirroring on one of the two LCD screens. The main gauge cluster has been replaced by the second LCD screen, a great setup for providing the extra information an EV user may need.

To find out more about renting an e-Golf through Europcar, visit https://www.europcar.co.nz/electric-vehicles