At the beginning of the pandemic, Canadian tourism dropped by over 50 percent, though the shift may have also paved the way for new car-sharing and rental programs, posits one report.
Canada’s car rental companies made up one of the industries hit hardest, effectively making rental prices skyrocket, and ultimately making it possible for new car-sharing programs to pop up, according to The Times Colonist.
Last week, a Statistics Canada report found that car rental prices increased by nearly 32 percent across Canada, despite many rebound attempts from the market.
The result? A handful of startups such as Vancouver-based Zerocar rising up to take on the larger rental companies amidst increasing demand for electric vehicles.
The Statistics Canada report said, “The disruption to the car market could spur lasting changes.”
Hertz Tesla Rental Agreement Terms PDF: What You Need to Know https://t.co/f5NXCCrSZM
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) November 4, 2021
Rental car giant Hertz began adding Model 3 and Model Y units to its platform last year.
Zerocar lets users rent their cars out via the car-sharing platform, offering competitive daily rentals for as low as $85. The company launched during COVID-19 in January 2021 and adjusted its rates to target the local rental market, allowing Tesla rentals by the hour.
The current Tesla car share fleet is located in the City of Vancouver, with pickup areas in Kitsilano, Coal Harbour, Yaletown and other parts of downtown.
“We are the first electric car share in Canada and I believe North America as well. And we’re definitely the first focusing on Tesla,” said Zerocar CEO Jason Gagné.
A primary goal for Zerocar is to help expose people to EVs, and to put concerns like range anxiety on hold, according to Gagné.
“A lot of people want to test out how an electric car works, how to charge, how a road trip goes. We definitely help sell a lot of vehicles just by renting.” Gagné continued, “The industry is changing.”
Other car share companies like Turo are also seeing major success with EV rentals. The company said B.C. is the most popular Canadian market for EVs, with the 400 listings seeing growth of 100% year-over-year.
Turo also said the Tesla Model 3 is the most popular vehicle in B.C., with demand “soaring” over the past few weeks and months.
