Tesla Cars - All electric performance cars
Are you ready for electric or hydrogen powered cars? With all the offerings from the major manufacturers at the Paris motor show perhaps now is the time to look again at what's on offer.
The sleekest has to be the Tesla Roadster, a low slung sexy sports car which will accelerate from 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds and has a range of 250 miles between charges. Tesla are also introducing a four door saloon car which will carry 7 people, this puts an all electric, good looking and powerful car in reach of many more people. Like the roadster the Model S looks as good as it's competitors and with a top speed of 120 and 0 to 60 in 5.6 seconds electric cars have come a long way.
Tesla promote the Model S as a 'Premium Saloon' and say it has a range of 300 miles, a 45 minute 'quick charge' and a 1 minute battery change making it easier to use and more convenient. Delivery for these starts in 2012 and they're taking reservations now! You can find out more about the Tesla Model S here.
Mitsubishi iMiEv
Looking for something a little smaller than the Model S? How about the Mitsubishi iMiEv? Going on sale in January 2011 for £23,990 which includes the £5000 government plug-in grant.
There are several points that they’re promoting on apart from its ‘Green’ credentials and one of those is lower running costs, with only 4 working parts in the engine in comparison to the approximate 300 parts in a conventional engine. Mitsubishi say that translates to lower servicing costs and less downtime.
Add to that the average fuel cost of £144 for 12,000 miles, the exemption from road tax and no congestion charge if you live in London they may have something. They also predict high residual values as they expect demand to outstrip supply for several years to come, so will this small city car tempt you?
Easy parking, nippy in town, no congestion charges and fee parking in some cities and London boroughs maybe the £23,990 price won’t be a reach too far!
Saturday, 2 October 2010
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Some Travel Resources
Just a few links for you to look at, hope you find them useful!
Car Rental Companies How They Can Screw With You this is an article I did to warn you about the ways you can incur extra charges when you rent a car.
This one is about what to do if you have an accident in your hire car
How To Handle An Accident In A Rental Car
If you have other hints and tips then please share them with me.
Car Rental Companies How They Can Screw With You this is an article I did to warn you about the ways you can incur extra charges when you rent a car.
This one is about what to do if you have an accident in your hire car
How To Handle An Accident In A Rental Car
If you have other hints and tips then please share them with me.
Thursday, 16 September 2010
Want to rent a car for Christmas?
Let's face it, Christmas can be a hassle what with all the rushing and the frenzy of buying presents, the organizing of where and with whom you'll celebrate the holidays, as well as finding enough time just to appreciate what Christmas really means!
So if you're going to need a rental car this Christmas holiday don't leave it too late to book. If you do you may very well end up being very disappointed by not getting the sort of car you want, or even not getting a car at all!
Try booking with a car rental broker instead of direct as they have more vehicle availability - remember they'll have contracts with Dollar, Hertz, Budget, National, Europcar, Alamo and many more suppliers - so they have access to all those fleets.
Book early and pre-pay for the vehicle, that way it won't get sold out from underneath you. Don't forget that prices will go up over the holiday period as it's a high season time, so check dates, some companies will charge the rate for the season you start in. This means if the high season starts on the 23rd and you book on the 22nd the whole thing will cost you less. The reverse is also true, if you start your rental on the last day of the high season and book for 2 weeks, you'll pay more!
It pays to ask questions to get several quotes from one place to check differences in prices (if any) depending on dates.
Above all, once you have booked your hire car, don't mix drinking and driving, you could spoil the whole holiday not just for you but your family and friends too!
So if you're going to need a rental car this Christmas holiday don't leave it too late to book. If you do you may very well end up being very disappointed by not getting the sort of car you want, or even not getting a car at all!
Try booking with a car rental broker instead of direct as they have more vehicle availability - remember they'll have contracts with Dollar, Hertz, Budget, National, Europcar, Alamo and many more suppliers - so they have access to all those fleets.
Book early and pre-pay for the vehicle, that way it won't get sold out from underneath you. Don't forget that prices will go up over the holiday period as it's a high season time, so check dates, some companies will charge the rate for the season you start in. This means if the high season starts on the 23rd and you book on the 22nd the whole thing will cost you less. The reverse is also true, if you start your rental on the last day of the high season and book for 2 weeks, you'll pay more!
It pays to ask questions to get several quotes from one place to check differences in prices (if any) depending on dates.
Above all, once you have booked your hire car, don't mix drinking and driving, you could spoil the whole holiday not just for you but your family and friends too!
Monday, 13 September 2010
7 Seater Car Hire
One of the most popular of the larger vehicles but one that often causes problems, because if you don't have one at home, it's easy to think they'll fit everyone and everything including the kitchen sink in.
This unfortunately not the case because they are built as people carriers not people and luggage carriers! So what's the answer? Well there are a couple of ways to go with an MPV (Multi Purpose vehicle)when you rent one.
Firstly decide on how many of you are going to drive (unless of course it's just two adults and 4 children). Then decide how much luggage you have to take, if you have lots of bags you may find it better to rent a smaller car for the first and last days of the hire period. This will make it easier to take everyone and everything to and from the airport.
One last thing, remember that no car hire company will guarantee a particular make or model of vehicle, only the group, so if you know that all your stuff will fit in a particular vehicle you can't rely on getting that one, even if it is the one shown on the search results form.
If you want a good rate on your next 7 seater car hire then you could try www.car-rental-deals.com
This unfortunately not the case because they are built as people carriers not people and luggage carriers! So what's the answer? Well there are a couple of ways to go with an MPV (Multi Purpose vehicle)when you rent one.
Firstly decide on how many of you are going to drive (unless of course it's just two adults and 4 children). Then decide how much luggage you have to take, if you have lots of bags you may find it better to rent a smaller car for the first and last days of the hire period. This will make it easier to take everyone and everything to and from the airport.
One last thing, remember that no car hire company will guarantee a particular make or model of vehicle, only the group, so if you know that all your stuff will fit in a particular vehicle you can't rely on getting that one, even if it is the one shown on the search results form.
If you want a good rate on your next 7 seater car hire then you could try www.car-rental-deals.com
Saturday, 11 September 2010
How you can save money on car hire
In today's economic climate, travel is one area that people really want to save money on. To aid you in your quest to save money on car hire, here are some top tips.
Using A Car Hire Broker
Why would I not go direct to the company that owns the
rental cars?
Car rental companies can never cover all destinations all of the time. No matter how big none of the car rental companies could guarantee to be the cheapest in all locations.
Because a car hire broker usually has contracts with all or most of the major suppliers, plus local and national ones too, they have access to more cars. This gives them an enormous choice of vehicles to rent to you.e. benefit of cars without the need to maintain them or staff offices. Saves the broker overheads and enables those savings to be passed on to you.
Timing
Beware of booking odd hours, the car hire companies charge in increments of 24
hours or part thereof, so going over a 24 hour period will cost an extra days rental.
If possible, make sure your drop off time is the same (or slightly earlier than) your pick up time. This way you will avoid being charged extra for “running over” for what may be only a few hours.
Duration of Hire
Most car hire companies charge the same for 5,6 or 7 days – they treat these periods as a week. Even if you only want 5 or 6 days it can be better to book the week. However, some companies (notably in the US and Canada) charge a penalty for returning a car early – so check at the time of booking.
Choosing Your Car
If you are a large party please make sure the vehicle you choose is large enough – remember all that luggage! Depending on how many of you there are in the party and what everyone is taking baggage wise - it can pay you to rent a smaller car for the trips to and from the airport.
Car Hire Insurance
Be clear on what is covered and what's not, especially check coverage for windshield, underside of car and tires as these very often are not covered - even with 'fully inclusive' insurance. You can often 'top up' your insurances locally at reasonable rates. (it's well worth it for the peace of mind).
Taking a car off road will negate these insurances - even if it's an all terrain vehicle.
Using A Car Hire Broker
Why would I not go direct to the company that owns the
rental cars?
Car rental companies can never cover all destinations all of the time. No matter how big none of the car rental companies could guarantee to be the cheapest in all locations.
Because a car hire broker usually has contracts with all or most of the major suppliers, plus local and national ones too, they have access to more cars. This gives them an enormous choice of vehicles to rent to you.e. benefit of cars without the need to maintain them or staff offices. Saves the broker overheads and enables those savings to be passed on to you.
Timing
Beware of booking odd hours, the car hire companies charge in increments of 24
hours or part thereof, so going over a 24 hour period will cost an extra days rental.
If possible, make sure your drop off time is the same (or slightly earlier than) your pick up time. This way you will avoid being charged extra for “running over” for what may be only a few hours.
Duration of Hire
Most car hire companies charge the same for 5,6 or 7 days – they treat these periods as a week. Even if you only want 5 or 6 days it can be better to book the week. However, some companies (notably in the US and Canada) charge a penalty for returning a car early – so check at the time of booking.
Choosing Your Car
If you are a large party please make sure the vehicle you choose is large enough – remember all that luggage! Depending on how many of you there are in the party and what everyone is taking baggage wise - it can pay you to rent a smaller car for the trips to and from the airport.
Car Hire Insurance
Be clear on what is covered and what's not, especially check coverage for windshield, underside of car and tires as these very often are not covered - even with 'fully inclusive' insurance. You can often 'top up' your insurances locally at reasonable rates. (it's well worth it for the peace of mind).
Taking a car off road will negate these insurances - even if it's an all terrain vehicle.
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