Chevrolet Should Start a Rental Program

[Powered7]

I contacted an area dealer to see if they have a Chevrolet Volt available for rent, and found that they don't. Other car companies do offer dealer-integrated rental divisions, such as Toyota (http://www.toyota.com/rental/). I know the Volt would likely be more expensive to rent per day than some other vehicles, but there is a need. I would jump at the chance to rent one, and I would think others would too.

So Chevrolet, please start up rental divisions at your dealers! This will also help prospective buyers.

[dax777]

Good idea, an excellent way to introduce the possible future buyers to the Volt...once they drive one, they're hooked...I know I was after a 5 miles test drive, and I wasn't planning to buy but you know the rest of the story...love my Volt....

[Toasty]

i agree, my local toyota offers the same rental, i rented a prius a few years ago and bought one.

http://www.worldtoyota.com/rental/index.htm



if people could rent a volt, they would buy one too.
i wanted to rent a volt when i was shopping for cars, but NO ONE in my area offered a rental.
but i jumped the gun and bought one anyways.

[larry4pyro]

Great idea. Until you actually drive an electric vehicle you really can't understand the wild enthusiasm expresses by Volt and other EV owners.

[VFRMike]

Agreed. My wife and I would really enjoy renting a Volt for at least a day. We're pretty sold on it anyway (just waiting to check out the Fusion Energi) but at a minimum it'd reaffirm our thoughts.

[DonC]

I think you can get one free for a week. I'd assume if you'll let someone have one for a week you'd rent one for a week.

[Chevrolet Customer Svc]

@ Powered7,

This actually is a very good idea and I will make sure that it is passed along!

[marlow]

Currently at my local dealer the rentals ar run by Hertz, and they do not have Volts availble for rental, However I was told that the dealer is concidering doing the rentals and making the Volt available that way. Maybe others are as well.

[BAZINGA]

GM needs to get this car in the hands of prospective buyers. Granted my dealer allowed me to take one of their Volts on a 4 hour test drive where we ran all our errands and even took it home to see how it looked in our garage and show the neighbors. 6 hours later I drove off in our own new 2012 CR Volt. Thanks Jack Schmitt Chevrolet, they understand the Volt sells itself.

GM are you listening?????

[IchDochNicht]

I had been looking for the possibility to rent a Volt since it first came-out - long before I was even considering getting one. I simply wanted to experience the technology first hand, given all the mis-information that was spread via Faux News and other right wing sources of information. I could not find a Volt to rent; only a standard Prius.

In the end, I was curious enough that I mustered the courage to visit a Chevrolet dealer and pretend I was a buyer - in hopes they'd let me drive a Volt. They did. Even though I did not get the full experience I was looking for, it sold me on the idea of driving electrically and the Volt as an exciting AND efficient mode of transportation.

The main trouble I see with renting a Volt is that you should get a bit of an introduction into the car first, so you know how to use it to your advantage. Unlike a standard car, it does require a bit of re-thinking before you can reap the benefits. If you just get-in and drive, you may get disappointed when you run out of juice and the engine comes-on. Or you'll be disappointed by the heating, or confused by the engine's disconnect to your throttle inputs...

Either way, had I had the chance to rent a Volt sooner, I would have become a better advocate for the program, and possibly would have gotten a Volt sooner.