Tesla is getting ready to expand its first-party vehicle rental service to a lot more drivers across the U.S. While you’ve always been able to rent Teslas through traditional rental agencies like Hertz or peer-to-peer apps like Turo, getting them straight from the source is becoming much easier.
New job listings on Tesla’s website show the program is headed to four new states: Maryland, Kansas, Washington, and Pennsylvania.
High-Value Perks That Undercut the Competition
The program initially started when Tesla began offering vehicle rentals at service centers for customers with cars in the shop. Tesla later opened up the rental program to the general public as a commercial service last fall, starting in California. The service’s footprint grew when the rentals expanded to Michigan last December, and previous reports have also pointed to future expansions in Texas, Tennessee, and Massachusetts.
The rental pricing structure is pretty competitive:
Model 3/Y: $60 per day
Cybertruck: $75 per day
Prices may vary by state, so you’ll have to check in with your local Tesla Store once the service becomes available in your state. The Model S and Model X used to be part of the fleet for $90 a day, but they’re no longer available after Tesla discontinued both of its flagship vehicles earlier this year. Tesla’s daily rates undercut third-party rental services by bundling all your road trip costs into a flat fee. Every rental comes with:
Rentals are available for a minimum of three and a maximum of seven days, and vehicles must stay within their state of origin (so cross-country trips are a no-go). Beyond being a great rental service, the program doubles as a clever sales tool. Tesla is essentially offering buyers an all-inclusive, multi-day test drive, and if they decide to buy a Tesla within seven days of returning their rental, they get a $250 purchase credit that reimburses them for the rental.
With the three-day minimum, you could rent a Model Y for a weekend for $180, take a free road trip (Supercharging on the road won’t cost you anything), and then get $250 off your new car order. This basically gives you a free extended test drive and a net discount of about $70 on the vehicle purchase.
There’s no official start date for Tesla rentals in the new states just yet, only that Tesla is currently hiring for the program. Tesla also only offers rentals at select showrooms, so look out for availability once the service launches in your state.