Visitors to Tasmania now have a new option to travel in quiet, zero-emissions style, with car rental Drive Car Hire adding a number of Tesla Model 3s to its fleet.
Unveiling the new lineup on Thursday, the company says it is adding the dual-motor, Long Range Model 3s to its Hobart fleet with more vehicles to follow in early 2022.
Tasmania is known for its pro-environmental stance, and in 2020 achieved 100% renewable energy status thanks to a combination of hydroelectricity, wind and solar energy sources.
This, and its stunning unique landscapes, have made the island state a magnet for tourists. So much so that hire cars have reportedly been hard to secure at times.
With a number of new charging infrastructure rollouts including Australia’s first V3 Tesla Supercharger at the port city of Devonport, as well as ultra-fast chargers such as this one at an Ampol service station halfway between Hobart and Launceston, Tasmania is more ready to accommodate tourists and residents travelling the state in electric vehicles than ever.
For those that have not driven an electric vehicle before, the company assures on its website that staff are on hand to guide customers through the experience of driving a Tesla Model 3, as well as locating charge spots.
According to a report in Tasmania’s Mercury, the company plans to transition its fleet to 100% electric and hybrid vehicles by 2025.
See also Giles Parkinson’s Tasmania road trip journey in a Nissan Leaf: Why Tasmania is such a great place for a driving holiday in a rented EV
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model 3 and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.