price/cost is a real issue, even with electrics, if bluela[0] in LA is any indication (indianapolis has the similar blueIndy).
it's an all-electric car service rented by the minute, and developed by bolloré, a french conglomerate, in collaboration with ladot.
bluela is riddled with problems[1], and for many use cases, it's not cost-competitive[2]. it's basically only economical for 15-minute point-to-point trips directly from and to charging stations (which have limited coverage, all near downtown).
by my (very rough) estimation, such services become attractive when they're dockless and the cost gets to $3/hr for 3-5 hour rentals (the sweet spot for most errand-running and visitation trips). otherwise, you can often find rental car deals at ~$20/day.
it's an all-electric car service rented by the minute, and developed by bolloré, a french conglomerate, in collaboration with ladot.
bluela is riddled with problems[1], and for many use cases, it's not cost-competitive[2]. it's basically only economical for 15-minute point-to-point trips directly from and to charging stations (which have limited coverage, all near downtown).
by my (very rough) estimation, such services become attractive when they're dockless and the cost gets to $3/hr for 3-5 hour rentals (the sweet spot for most errand-running and visitation trips). otherwise, you can often find rental car deals at ~$20/day.
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[0] https://www.bluela.com/
[1] not dockless, unpredictable availability (both cars and charging spots), limited range, dirty cars/chargers, frequent breakages, poor UX (both app and car), convoluted rental process, payment issues, uncaring customer service, etc.
[2] 20¢/min (≃$12/hr) with a $60/yr membership (also has a low-income tier at 15¢/min)