by Alec Fraser
posted on June 23, 2021
The host stories series showcases the best and brightest of hosts on Turo. Read on to hear how Brian’s experiences as an EV owner and seasoned Turo host have convinced him that green vehicles are the way to go in London.
What made you initially list your car on Turo?
Listing on Turo was actually one of the main reasons I decided to buy my car. I was evaluating whether I could afford to own a car in London, and the potential to offset the cost through sharing my car out swayed me, so I went out and bought it! I listed it on Turo pretty much immediately, and the money that I’ve since earned through Turo has greatly helped me to offset the cost of owning a car in London.
What made you buy an electric car?
Electric cars are much better for the environment, especially in urban areas where cars are constantly stopping and starting. Plus, with an EV you don’t have to pay the £15 Congestion Charge that you’d pay driving a combustion car in central London.
I also personally really enjoy the electric driving experience. EVs are smoother and quieter than combustion cars, and some models have much faster acceleration, which makes them more fun to drive.
What has your experience been like so far?
Every guest that’s booked my car on Turo has returned it in a timely fashion and taken good care of it. I haven’t actually had issues on any trips yet!
Once I had a guest book my car for a week to take it for an extended test drive, as they themselves were considering buying an i3 at the time. I’m not sure if he bought an i3 in the end, but after the trip it certainly sounded like he enjoyed using the car!
Tell us about the differences between owning an EV and an ordinary car. Have any of your guests had any problems with range?
The EV that I own is actually equipped with a range extender, which means that it also has a small combustion tank that serves as a backup generator for the batteries. This means that if you’re taking a trip outside the city and aren’t sure how far the charge will take you, you can fill it up at a petrol station and the batteries run off the energy generated by the petrol motor. Of course, many people just borrow the car for city driving, and in those cases it’s easy to use completely electrically without the range extender.
The main difference with a battery-powered car is the need to charge it, but apart from that, I’ve found it to be quite similar to owning a petrol car — general upkeep is the same or easier, and the driving experience is similar (although better in an electric in my opinion).
Finally — will you ever go back to a combustion engine car?
No. Electric cars are the future and the tech is only going to get better and better. The range will get longer, the variety and options of cars that you’ll be able to choose from will expand, and the factory cost to buy them will go down. After owning this i3 I would never go back to owning a combustion engine car.
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The views, opinions, and responses represent the experiences of Turo hosts and do not necessarily reflect those of Turo. The earnings results are applicable to the hosts featured and do not represent the experience of all hosts on Turo nor do they represent an average. Results from car sharing on Turo may vary. If you have questions about hosting on Turo, please contact a customer support representative here.
Alec Fraser
Alec is the Business Development Manager on the Turo UK team. He loves a good road trip when abroad, and likes to hit the (field) hockey pitch when at home.
