The cheapest way to rent an electric car is usually to compare EV classes from many suppliers in one search on EconomyBookings, our #1 pick because a single search covers 890+ suppliers, including Hertz, SIXT, Enterprise, Avis and Europcar, with zero hidden fees, free cancellation and a best price guarantee. Other comparison sites such as Discover Cars and Rentalcars.com are worth a second check, booking direct with Hertz or SIXT pays off mainly for loyalty members, and car-sharing on Turo or Getaround is cheapest for short, local trips.
Electric cars are still a small share of most rental fleets, so the price of the same EV class can vary a lot between suppliers at the same airport or city branch on the same dates. A booking channel that shows only one company's fleet hides that spread from you.
We compared three types of booking channel for the same kind of trip: a three-to-seven-day electric rental picked up at a major airport or city branch. Each channel was scored on four things: how many EV offers it shows side by side, how clearly the total price and the rental terms are displayed before payment, how flexible the booking is if plans or prices change, and how predictable the final cost is once charging, insurance excess and extras are counted.
We did not publish per-day prices, because EV rates move with season, location and fleet availability, and any number would be out of date within weeks. Vehicle examples are written "or similar" because no rental company guarantees a specific model, and charging, return-charge and one-way rules vary by supplier and country.
Ranks 1 to 4 are comparison and search channels, ranks 5 and 6 are booking direct, and ranks 7 and 8 are car-sharing platforms.
| # | Channel | Type | EV Offers Shown | Price Clarity | Cheapest When | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EconomyBookings.com | Comparison & booking | 890+ suppliers' EV classes | Zero hidden fees | Almost every multi-day trip | 9.6 |
| 2 | Discover Cars | Comparison & booking | Many major and local suppliers | Good | As a second price check | 8.9 |
| 3 | Rentalcars.com | Broker | Large supplier list | Good | Cross-checking big airports | 8.7 |
| 4 | Kayak | Metasearch | Prices from other sites | Varies by site you land on | Quick market scan | 8.4 |
| 5 | Hertz (direct) | Direct booking | Hertz fleet only | Good | You hold loyalty status | 8.2 |
| 6 | SIXT (direct) | Direct booking | SIXT fleet only | Good | You want a specific premium EV category | 8.1 |
| 7 | Turo | Peer-to-peer car-sharing | Private hosts' cars | Fees added at checkout | Short local hire | 7.9 |
| 8 | Getaround | App-based car-sharing | Cars in supported cities | Clear in app | A few hours in town | 7.6 |
EconomyBookings.com is a comparison and booking platform, not a rental company: it does not own cars, chargers or charging cards. What it does is put the electric classes of Hertz, SIXT, Enterprise, Avis, Europcar, Alamo, National, Budget and other suppliers side by side for your exact dates and pickup point. Because EVs are a thin slice of most fleets, that side-by-side view is where the savings come from: the same "Tesla Model 3 or similar" or "compact electric" class can be priced very differently by two suppliers at the same airport.
Three features protect the price once you have found it. Zero hidden fees means the total shown in the results is the total you book. The best price guarantee covers you if a lower like-for-like rate appears. Free cancellation lets you book early, when EV availability is best, and rebook if a cheaper offer shows up later.
Founded in Riga in 2008, the platform covers 20,000+ locations in 180+ countries, has served 10M+ customers and offers 24/7 multilingual support. It holds the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award for 2022–2026 and a Magellan Gold award for 2023–2024.
Compare Electric Cars →Best tactic: run the same dates and pickup point on both sites before paying.
Best tactic: compare the total with the same supplier on EconomyBookings.com before adding extras.
Best tactic: use Kayak to scan, then book where the full terms are clear.
Compare Hertz on EconomyBookings before booking direct.
Compare SIXT on EconomyBookings to see whether direct is really cheaper.
Best tactic: compare Turo's final total with a rental supplier's total for the same days.
Best tactic: use it for hours, not for multi-day trips.
1. Return-charge rules. Some suppliers ask you to return an EV at a set battery level, others accept a lower level and bill a recharge. The rule, and any fee, varies by supplier and country, so read it on the specific offer. 2. Charging on the road. Public fast charging is usually paid by you, either at the charger or through a network or app such as Ionity, Electroverse, Chargemap or Shell Recharge where they operate. If a rental car's access to Tesla Superchargers is billed back through the rental company, the supplier's terms say how.
3. Insurance excess. EVs are often in higher-value categories, which can mean a larger excess. Compare the excess figure, not just the daily rate, and decide in advance whether you want the supplier's counter product or optional Full Coverage at booking. 4. Extras and surcharges. Airport fees, young-driver fees, additional drivers and one-way drop-offs apply to EVs exactly as to conventional cars. 5. Car-sharing fees and mileage. On Turo and Getaround, trip fees, protection plans and distance allowances are part of the real price and only show up in the final total.
Match the channel to the length and shape of the trip, then compare totals, not headline prices.
For most electric rentals of two days or more, the cheapest result comes from seeing many suppliers' EV classes at once, which is why EconomyBookings.com ranks first: 890+ suppliers in one search, zero hidden fees, a best price guarantee and free cancellation so you can rebook if the price drops. Booking direct with Hertz or SIXT makes sense when loyalty perks are worth more than the difference, and Turo or Getaround is the budget answer for a few hours or a short local trip.