Tesla’s $60 rental program is just a test drive in disguise

Tesla, a company that wants to transition from making and selling electric cars to robotics and AI, is now trying out the rental business. The automaker has launched a new, in-house rental program, which is nothing like borrowing a car from Hertz or Enterprise. The new service is offered directly by Tesla at two of its California locations, and it seems to be less about a new business venture and more about a new sales tactic.

The company has long operated on the belief that "butts in seats sell cars." Tesla is betting that if a person can just try one of its EVs for a few days, they will be convinced to buy one. Driving a high-tech electric car often makes a traditional gas-powered car feel old. Tesla's new program is designed to be the ultimate test drive, letting people experience what it's like to actually live with one of their vehicles.

NEWS: Tesla has introduced a new car rental program at select U.S. stores.

You can rent a Tesla for up to 7 days starting at $60/day. It includes FSD (Supervised) and free Supercharging for the entire rental. If you order a new Tesla within 7 days of your rental, you’ll get a… pic.twitter.com/5qhfyFq4I6

— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) November 8, 2025

The new rental program is currently a small test. Tesla offers it only at its stores in San Diego and Costa Mesa, California. Customers in those areas can rent a Tesla for a period of three to seven days. The price is attention-grabbing, with rates starting at just $60 per day, plus a stack of taxes and fees. That $60 rate likely gets you the company's cheapest vehicle, the Tesla Model 3 Standard.

But the daily rate is not the real story. The perks are what make this deal unusual. First, renters get Free Supercharging. This is a serious benefit, and it means a customer can drive all over the state, stop at any Tesla-owned Supercharger station, and charge the car back up for free. For anyone taking a multi-day road trip, this saves a lot of money.

The freebies don't stop with the charging. Renters also get free access to Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system. This is the company's most advanced driver-assistance software. Normally, this system is a very expensive option when buying the car, or it can be had with a $99 monthly subscription fee. By including it in the rental, Tesla is encouraging drivers to test its most talked-about technology.

The company also offers unlimited mileage on the rental. The one major rule is that drivers are not allowed to leave the state where they rented the car. But within California, they can drive as much as they want without paying extra. This package - cheap rate, free fuel, and free advanced software - makes it a unique offer.

Tesla is not even trying to hide the program's true purpose - to sell more electric cars. To prove it, the company is offering a $250 credit to any renter who decides to buy a new Tesla within seven days of their rental. A four-day rental at $60 per day costs $240 (before fees). The $250 credit means Tesla will essentially refund the entire cost of the rental if that person becomes a buyer.

This strategy gives potential customers a way to try before they buy. They can see if the car fits in their garage, how it handles their daily commute, and what it's like to charge it. It's a low-pressure sales environment that lets the car sell itself.

The timing of this new rental program is important. It comes just as the market for EVs in the United States is expected to fall off the cliff. The $7,500 federal tax credit for electric cars ended on October 1st, and many buyers rushed to purchase EVs before that date to get the discount. Now, automakers that only sell electric cars, like Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid, must find new ways to attract customers.

With government incentives disappearing, these companies worry about cars sitting unsold in showrooms. Tesla's answer is this program. It's an attempt to create new demand by showing people, rather than just telling them, why they should switch to an EV.

While people can already rent a Tesla from third-party services like Hertz, this program is different. It cuts out the middleman. Renting directly from Tesla allows the customer to use the official Tesla app to control and monitor the car. This gives them the complete "owner" experience, which a standard rental company cannot offer.

Tesla has stated that it plans to expand this rental service to more locations by the end of this year. If the pilot program in San Diego and Costa Mesa succeeds at turning renters into buyers, you can expect to see this "super test drive" offered at Tesla stores across the country.

Via