Would you be ready to rent a cheap electric car this summer?

What if summer and vacation travel were the perfect time to switch to an electric car… without commitment?

According to the latest OpinionWay barometer for Drivalia, 27% of vacationers consider renting as an opportunity to test an electric vehicle. This is a rising figure (+4 points compared to 2024) that reveals a growing appetite among the French for greener mobility… but, of course, provided it remains accessible.

Because yes, electric cars intrigue, sometimes attract, but are often perceived as expensive, complicated to charge, or unreliable over long distances. While 30% of vacationers, 80% of those aged 18-34, wish to adopt more ecological modes of transport, the best way to dispel doubts remains to try it out.

Manufacturer rentals as a powerful weapon in pro-electric propaganda

However, this is where car manufacturers could change the game. Why leave this role to traditional rental companies, who struggle to make these models accessible to summer budgets? With the thousands of used electric vehicles now populating brand fleets, it is high time to give them a useful second life. Offering long-term rentals of one or two months for these already depreciated cars would not only entice new potential customers but also energize networks, often seeking growth outside of new vehicle sales.

Imagine a manufacturer that, instead of letting demonstration models or leased fleets sit idle, proposes them for summer rentals at discounted prices. The customer discovers the car at home, in their daily life, or at their vacation location, without commercial pressure but with the valuable assistance of the brand’s support service ready to introduce them to this wonderful new world. The result: a concrete experience, much more convincing than any advertisement.

The concept is particularly appealing as the French now prioritize practical and easy-to-park vehicles over the cheapest models. Urban electric vehicles, often compact and quiet, check all the boxes. As renting becomes an increasingly strategic tool for discovering a technology, manufacturers have a significant card to play. Especially since, as the saying goes, “try it and you’ll adopt it“.

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