Clearly, I’m a bit of a fan of Tesla shuttle and taxi services (I cofounded Tesla Shuttle), so I’m always happy to learn about new services like these. One such service is called eCarra. It offers chauffeured rides in certain regions of Texas right now, but I’m sure has an eye on expanding into other areas of the state and beyond.
The marketing angle is clear from those videos: be greener today, ride in the best vehicles in the world (Teslas), and don’t worry, the cost is similar to an Uber.
I’m familiar with the pitch, having made it many times, and I agree with it. This is a win-win-win proposition. Despite being premium-class vehicles, the high mileage of this kind of service combined with low electricity/charging costs makes a Tesla competitive with a much lower class gasoline car. If you have older Teslas (or a brand new Model S Long Range or Performance or Model X Long Range of Performance) with free Supercharging, that helps, too, since you 1) get free electricity and 2) can fairly quickly recharge between trips or even in the middle of trips. It looks like eCarra does indeed use some older Teslas that should have free Supercharging.
The hardest thing for such businesses is getting the market rolling. People don’t change habits easily, and that goes for transportation and consumer habits as much as anything else. People have to find out about the service, be inspired enough to use the service, remember to use the service, and fit the option into their life in a convenient way.
So, if you’re in Texas or plan to visit, I do encourage you to check out the service. I just downloaded the app and poked around. It’s very easy to use and well designed. The only major problem I see is that it doesn’t actually tell you where service is possible. I found out quickly that it didn’t service my location in Florida, but I couldn’t find the specific locations it does service. It seems like you just have to download the app and check.
https://youtu.be/cl7Vb0dr5-E
Of course, if you’re not in an eCarra region but are in a Tesla Shuttle region (or traveling to one), I encourage you to book a Tesla in our network.
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