Electric Dreams: Take a ride in the car of the future 

As we step into a future of cleaner technologies, car hire companies such as Orana can now provide customers with new and greener vehicles to take a drive in. Both our Brisbane and Sydney offices offer electric and hybrid vehicles for hire – but what’s it all about? Is this new technology here to stay and how does it actually feel to get behind the wheel of an electric car? Stick with us while we demystify all the facts flying around about green machines – what you need to know, what you’re going to love, and what might take just a little getting used to.

What you need to know:

The electric vehicle, or EV, is designed to step away from the traditional internal combustion model to an engine powered by electricity drawn from the grid. This electricity is stored in rechargeable batteries which are charged up each time the car needs to be driven. About 1.4% of all vehicles on the road are EV’s or hybrid vehicles, which use a combination of fuel and electricity. Consumer demand for environmentally conscious options have compelled car manufacturers to redesign and rethink their products, and consumers are responding enthusiastically, with the sale of electric vehicles up by about 37% in the last four years. The future of motoring looks decidedly green, so when you’re deciding on your hire car from Orana’s Sydney or Brisbane office, think about taking an electric or hybrid vehicle out for a spin – and experience the future of motoring up close and personal.

What you’re going to love:

The first thing you’ll notice when you drive your EV is just how gloriously silent it is. No headache-inducing roar of the motor here – just plenty of space to notice what’s actually going on outside your car. The omission of fuel, oil and other engine fluids means that your car smells nicer too – and isn’t likely to drip, smear or smudge grimy stuff all over your precious items and the people in your family who insist on wearing all white. It’ll put more money in your pocket, too, as you’ll spend significantly less on your EV over the same distance than you will at the petrol pump with your regular vehicle. There’s also the reason why EV’s and hybrids exist in the first place – they're much better for the environment than your regular vehicle. There are no carbon monoxide emissions chugging into the atmosphere, in fact your EV doesn’t even have an exhaust pipe. There is also a wealth of technological advances such as regenerative braking to optimise and recapture energy in an EV motor. A recent study in the UK estimated that if there were only electric cars on the road, carbon emissions would drop by 12%. And that’s the kind of difference scientists tell us is vitally important for the planet we call home. Drive away from Sydney or Brisbane in your Orana hire car that’s powered by green energy – and know that you’re one of the many making a difference.

What might take getting used to:

Most of the challenges that electric vehicles present revolve around the use of the batteries that power the motor. Each and every time you drive, you need to ensure that you have a charged-up battery that’ll take the car whatever distance it needs to travel. It takes some forethought and planning to calculate when and how you’ll charge your car, bearing in mind that a typical electric car with a standard 60kWh battery will require just under 8 hours to charge up from a 7kW charging point. For longer trips, you might have to checkpoint locations with charging stations or

plan your overnight stays to coincide with battery capacity, and that can be maddening to the person who prefers a holiday with little to no thinking required.

If you’ve been thinking of jumping into a green machine around Sydney or Brisbane, give Orana Car and Truck hire a call. We’ve got options a-plenty and there’s never been a better time to settle in behind the wheel and take a sneak peek at what’s down the road in motoring.