Mercedes-Benz teases super-efficient EV with over 1,000km of range

Re:Mercedes-Benz teases super-efficient EV with over 1,000km... by listenallyall on Tuesday July 27, 2021 @05:44PM (#27978039)

$40 is almost surely a pre-pandemic number, as rental cars have mostly doubled or more since. Go see what a car costs in Southern California, or Albuquerque, for example. Further, that price is without any insurance, and likely a small car, while plenty of people going on a road trip need a much larger car to fit the whole family + luggage + extras like camping equipment, the dog, etc.

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Re:Mercedes-Benz teases super-efficient EV with over 1,000km... by emodendroket on Tuesday July 27, 2021 @06:03PM (#27978236)

Not so. I actually rented a car in LA a few weeks ago, which is why I had the figure in mind. See for yourself: https://i.imgur.com/aWL365O.png

Vans appear to be slightly more expensive but not outrageously so (and honestly it's not at all uncommon to get a free upgrade when you book the economy car).

As for insurance, why would our hypothetical family need to get insurance? Surely they already have it, if they have a car that they drive.

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Re:Mercedes-Benz teases super-efficient EV with over 1,000km... by listenallyall on Tuesday July 27, 2021 @07:45PM (#27978923)

$411 for a 7-day rental (the cheapest total in your screenshot) is quite a bit more than $40/day, last I checked. Further, there's simply no way to fit a family and luggage into a Kia Rio-sized car. Cheap/free upgrade? Sure, but not economy to van/SUV, more like economy to intermediate.

I'll grant you that insurance isn't necessary (or even advisable), however plenty of people feel more secure getting the (very expensive) protection given the risk of driving an unfamiliar car to likely unfamiliar locations.

Still, glad to see prices coming down. I paid $80/day for 3 days in June and $75 (after a discount) in July.

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Re:Mercedes-Benz teases super-efficient EV with over 1,000km... by runako on Wednesday July 28, 2021 @12:00AM (#27980131)

This is great pricing if your party is 2-3 people. However, that doesn't describe many American living situations. In our case, we would need a larger vehicle for a trip. Expedia is currently quoting me $700-$1,100 for the week you searched for a non-luxury vehicle like a Nissan Pathfinder. This doesn't include insurance or other add-ons, which I typically decline.

(It's outside my risk tolerance to reserve an economy car and gamble that I will arrive at the airport to be delighted by a complementary upgrade to a vehicle large enough to transport my party.)

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Re:Mercedes-Benz teases super-efficient EV with over 1,000km... by emodendroket on Wednesday July 28, 2021 @06:49PM (#27990768)

If you look on the side bar they're offering vans for slightly more. Maybe you should switch to Priceline.

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Re:Mercedes-Benz teases super-efficient EV with over 1,000km... by runako on Thursday July 29, 2021 @09:36AM (#27996364)

Possibly, but I did my search from the airport closest to me and not LA. That's likely the dominant factor.

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