E-Cars provide electric rentals

E-Cars provide electric rentals

By Samantha Bryant Wednesday, 25 November 2009

AUSTIN — Tourists have a new way to see the city that is completely Austin: environmentally friendly and a little weird.

E-Cars of Austin on Trinity Street rents out electric vehicles by the hour and has cars parked at most of the hotels downtown. The battery-powered vehicles seat either two or four people and often cause pedestrians to stare as they cruise around town.

“It’s amazing the looks you get,” said owner Steve McDermott.

McDermott grew up in Chicago but moved to Texas 18 years ago. Before opening his rental business in the summer, McDermott worked in the restaurant industry and more recently, home building in the Austin area.

When gas prices shot up last year, McDermott began to look for other ways to travel.

“I was sick of paying five dollars a gallon for gas, and wanted to find a cheaper way to fund my own transportation,” he said.

He began to research electric cars, and considered creating an electric cab business. After talking with public officials and realizing how difficult it would be, McDermott decided to open a car rental business instead. His 10 cars are stationed at nearly all of the hotels in downtown Austin so tourists have a unique way to get to see all of the city’s attractions.

“In an hour and a half you can see almost all of Austin. It’s a good picture tour,” said McDermott.

The open-air cars do not have doors, providing the rider a clear view of the city’s hotspots, and the rounded body type attract attention from other drivers as well as pedestrians.

The vehicles cost $20 an hour to rent, and various “Plug-in Partners” in the area offer a way to charge the battery while they are out seeing the sights. Local businesses and restaurants, such as Shady Grove and Carmellos, have agreed to let the electric cars plug into an outlet and recharge. McDermott said he is also looking for local businesses to advertise on the cars.

Federal law states electric cars can only be driven on roads where the speed limit is 35 mph or less.

McDermott predicts more electric vehicles will appear in America during the next five years. He said it costs just under a penny a mile to power the cars, or $0.25 for 35 miles.

“Most people, in their daily lives, don’t drive much more than five or ten miles to their workplace and home again at night,” he said. “Usually they shop close within a few miles. Only if you’re going on a trip or visiting a friend across town do you really need another type of vehicle.”

McDermott has two cars equipped with solar panels on the roof that can hold up to four people. On a sunny day, these vehicles can travel much longer without stopping to charge the battery.

“I think every family should have one of these,” said McDermott. “One of these and one regular car.”

The electric car enthusiast bought his two-seater vehicles from Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), a subsidiary of Chrysler. The GEM cars are about 100 inches long, weigh 1,200 lbs. and are powered by 72-volt batteries. Fully charged, one car can go for about three hours or 50 miles.

McDermott’s younger brother Desmond, who works for E-Cars of Austin, said the vehicles are completely silent except for the noise of the tires.

“The only pollution is smile pollution,” Desmond said.

You can contact E-Cars of Austin by calling 445-2900 or visiting www.ecarsaustin.com.