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If you are an electric car owner looking for a nifty new way to make some extra cash, it may be time to look into car sharing with evee, Australia’s only solely electric vehicle car-sharing company. Launched in 2015, evee works with electric car owners to offer Australian drivers the ability to book an electric car and experience the future of transportation.

Keith Mason, evee car host and advisor, based near Manly in Sydney has seen these side-hustle earnings first-hand since he started renting out his Tesla Model 3 in December 2020. Keith has since seen his Tesla booked out 40% of the time – and rented out nearly every weekend since he listed it.

“I’ve been a big fan and advocate for electric vehicles for years. evee’s platform gave me the perfect opportunity to share my knowledge and love for EVs with other prospective EV buyers and enthusiasts whilst also tapping into potential earnings by renting out the Tesla when it’s not needed” shares Keith Mason.  

“My ultimate motivation for renting my Tesla out is to share my knowledge learned during 5 years and 100,000 km of EV ownership.”

Opportunity to cash in with a demand for EV car rentals

Whilst EV car sales only represented 0.7 per cent of the overall Australian vehicle market in 2020, there is, however, still a strong rise in the demand for affordable and easy access to rent and experience EVs, alongside high demand for rental cars since Covid-19.  

Many prospective EV buyers want to experience driving an EV at home, beyond the limitations of a test drive from a dealership. With longer car hire times, drivers can find answers to practical questions like – can I actually charge this car at home through a domestic plug? Or is charging a logistical nightmare?

Keith found that there’s been a mix of reasons car renters were looking to hire an EV, whether for a road trip or to experience the future of EV technology. A survey of his customers shows that 90% of his car-share renters were driving an EV for the first time and 75% are considering buying an EV.

He shared, “A handful of renters have gone on to purchase an EV after renting which is really satisfying for me.”

“My experience shows that there is definitely great demand from people in Sydney wanting to experience EV in-depth by renting for a road trip or long weekends away. Owners in metro areas who put their car on evee and make their car available should definitely expect bookings which should help them with the cost of ownership ”.

In 2020, evee recorded incredible car rental growth which tripled year-on-year, with their vehicle fleet range expanded from 19 to over 70 cars available to hire. evee has also expanded into every major city including Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns, and Alice Springs.

How evee helps you list your car

evee has completely simplified the process of listing your EV, listing a car usually takes about 10 minutes. Once a car is listed, the evee team get in touch with competitive personal insurance, comparable to mainstream insurance, from their partners. This insurance covers the vehicle for car-sharing use via evee.

Pricing is dependent on the market value, location, time of year and other criteria but car renters are free to set their rate, and there is zero membership or subscription fee, ever.

There’s also flexibility for the drivers since it’s completely up to the owner to accept the rental – the only minimum is that one rental is accepted every 90 days. You can see how much you could earn by listing your car here.

The Results

In just six months, Keith has made nearly $10,000 by renting out his Tesla Model 3 an average of 12 days per month, with the longest rental spanning a total of 11 days. This is enough to offset monthly car repayments and insurance costs.

If you have an electric vehicle and the flexibility to rent it out when it’s sitting in your driveaway, whether that’s on the weekends or during the week, you’re in a prime position to start the ball rolling to make extra cash with evee.