The Fear of Electric Car Rentals: My Holiday Experience in Ibiza (Part 1)

I was tasked with booking the rental car for the holiday that I’m currently on. As always, I checked to see if there was an electric vehicle option available. Sometimes there are, but they are usually significantly more expensive (double the price). However, this time the electric vehicle was only about ￡20 more than the internal combustion engine option. This gave me almost no reason not to choose it… except one big concern: I was booking the car that would take my girlfriend’s friends and me around the island of Ibiza during her big birthday celebration! What if everything went horribly wrong because I made the wrong choice!?

This thought haunted me just before I clicked “book.” Now, it must be known, I’m a true evangelist for electric vehicles, so if I had these concerns, imagine what the rest of the population might be thinking. Why was I worried?

The main reason for my fear was the thought of ruining my girlfriend’s holiday, and her big birthday! The car advertised on the booking site, Booking.com was a model from 2020, with a range that wasn’t clearly advertised on the site, although knowing the model, I knew it likely wouldn’t have the advanced range of current electric vehicles. So, I felt some level of range anxiety.

The second reason was the potential for a charging station nightmare. While I’ve had minor issues before, it’s never been disruptive enough to completely ruin my day or trip, but it can cause time wastage and get frustration levels up.

Despite these fears, I proceeded to book. My girlfriend’s concern and anxiety mirrored my own due to the pressure I felt. However, I’m familiar with electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and I knew that the size of Ibiza and the presence of a decent number of charging stations wouldn’t pose a significant challenge.

PICKING UP THE CAR

I collected the car from OK Mobility , a large car rental company operating in many European countries. I completed the usual paperwork at the desk, where they also tried to sell me very expensive insurance—three times the price of the rental itself! They did provide some a tiny bit of advice about charging though.

One immediate bonus that put me in a good mood was being told I didn’t need to recharge the car before returning it. So, I thought, "cost and time savings." This is Win number 1!

As they handed me the key, I noticed the label on the key read “Citro?n C3.” I was familiar with the Citro?n C3 electric from my research before buying the Volkswagen ID.3 I currently have in Bristol. It seemed to be a decent car from the reviews and videos I’d seen. Win number two!

When my girlfriend and I went out to check the car, I was very impressed. It was a great model, fully equipped with all the mod-cons. As I turned the car on, I saw it had a full charge with over 360 km of range! Win number three! Immediately, some of my concerns were alleviated. This was a car with a really decent range, enough to get me around the island for most of the week.

I also saw one of the SILENCE l Urban Ecomobility and they had a Peugeot e2008

The drive for the rest of the day was blissful—smooth, quiet, with beautiful control. The amazing sound system, combined with the quietness of the car, made playing my Afrobeats a very enjoyable experience. All of the things I love about driving electric!

CHARGING THE CAR

I'm sure this is the bit you've been waiting for!

On the second day in Ibiza, I went to a co-working space to work on an event I love, Smarter Mobility Africa . I was excited to see a fast charger right next to the co-working space. It was a charging station belonging to Enel X , the company. Great, I thought—I could charge while working.

After lunch, I took a walk to the charging station to see if I could charge my car. However, the station was part of a private car rental business with premium cars such as Range Rovers and BMWs. The staff confirmed it was a private charger and not accessible to me, despite it being listed on Google Maps. This was annoying, but since I still had 330 km of range, I wasn’t too worried. However, I do think Enel should address this listing to prevent confusion and bad experiences for others.

On the third day, while my girlfriend and her family were still out having fun on the island of Formentera, I decided to explore the charging network ahead of our friends’ arrival for the weekend. I checked a few apps to see where the charging stations were located. This process highlighted one of the big challenges with charging, especially when traveling to a new location. Which app should you use to find charging stations? How do you know which networks are reliable and available?

There are several European and multi-country apps for finding charging stations. However, each app only shows a subset of available stations, depending on the network it supports. This means you need to check multiple apps to get a complete picture. I used two apps: 1. Plugsurfing and 2. Enel X Way . Some of these apps also allow in-app payments.

The first charging station I visited was at a petrol station. I generally find charging stations at petrol stations to be the least pleasant, unless they have good amenities around. This one didn’t, but it only took me about five minutes to scan the charging station, register with the network, add my card, pay, connect the charging cable, and start charging. This was a 10 kWh AC charger. I went for a walk in San Antonio while the car charged.

After the walk, I unplugged and decided to check out another charging station I’d seen on a previous trip to Ibiza. This was a fast charger at a Lidl Espa?a grocery store. However, upon arrival, the CCS fast charger was not working. Luckily, the Type 2 AC charger was operational. I plugged it in, and it started charging immediately without requiring registration or payment. Could this be a free charging station?

I asked a woman charging her phone nearby if the charging station was free. She confirmed with a smile, and I couldn’t believe it! This was a great idea by Lidl—providing free charging to attract customers. Their plan was definitely working with me!

RECOMMENDATIONS (so far)

I’m only three days in, but here are my recommendations so far. I’ll provide a full conclusion after my two-week trip in part two of this article.

1. Rent the electric vehicle with the longest range: This advice is particularly important when heading to a new location for a limited time. Play it safe and go for a car with a bigger range. This is different advice from what I’d give to someone buying a vehicle or using it for commercial reasons. When it’s your own vehicle in your own location, and you’re using it daily, potentially charging at home or using familiar infrastructure, the need for a long range isn’t as crucial. However, when traveling, especially in areas with less developed charging networks, a longer range is beneficial.
2. Research the available charging infrastructure: As annoying as it sounds, it’s worth doing some homework. Read a few blogs, speak with the rental company (though they may not always have detailed advice), and get familiar with the charging stations and networks. While I relied on previous experiences, it would have helped to have a better idea of the charging network beforehand.
3. Estimate your daily driving distance: In my case, I knew I’d be driving 20-50 km per day. With a 360 km battery range, that’s about nine days of driving without needing to charge. Knowing your daily distance can help you plan your charging needs better.

I look forward to sharing more insights in part 2 of this article. Stay tuned!