What it’s like renting an electric car in Sydney

Can I live with an EV in inner-city Sydney?

Keen to buy an EV, 47-year-old advertising producer Skye initially considered a Tesla Model Y but concerns about its size have led her to look at other smaller models.

“Parking is a daily catfight for limited, tiny spots, so I worry about the extra size on the Y, and its ability to squeeze into claustrophobic spots on narrow streets. So I’m also looking at smaller options like the MG SZ or MG 4, and the Atto 3,” explains Skye.

After picking up the BYD Atto 3 from SIXT Artarmon, Skye trialled the vehicle for a week. During that time, she used it as a daily driver, and also took it up to visit her parents on the Northern Beaches so they could see what it was like on a road trip out to Windsor.

Currently she owns a 2007 Toyota Prius iTech.

“It’s been a fabulous car for my needs, I’ve never had to have any mechanical work performed on it, just regular servicing, and it’s never missed a trick,” she tells NRMA EV Hub.

“It’s getting a bit long in the tooth though, and things like the Bluetooth, maps and stereo no longer work reliably, and some of the plastic trim, handles and so on are breaking down (though the engine and battery seem like they’ll go forever!)

“I’m also very keen to trade up to an EV while there are such good government incentives - I will probably do a novated lease to take advantage of the generous FBT exemptions.”

Ready to see how the new Atto performed, Skye says she found the pickup experience at Artarmon more than helpful.

“The lady that served me at Sixt was amazing … She was really helpful in making sure I was comfortable with the key features of the car and how it charges. She even wrote down the main apps to download to find charging points.”

She adds: “Free charging from ChargeFox is a great bonus and eliminating the need to charge before returning (Artamon has fast chargers at the facility) certainly gives hiring an EV for work trips and to/from the airport the edge over traditional cars.”

Onboarding included being shown the charging cable location and a demonstration on how to use fast chargers of both plug types, as well as home plugs.

“They really were very good,” she says.

“There were a couple of little things that were a bit harder to find that probably would help with the onboarding process – such as how to plug in your phone to connect to the interface, how to pop the charge cable cap and the bonnet, perhaps also better instruction on reading when charge would be needed/reading the interface.”

Skye continues: “The interface was great – very user friendly and intuitive, I didn’t have to struggle to work out important things like navigation and how to get Double J on DAB (showing my age!)

Although some of the features like lane keeping were new to her, she says, “for the first few drives the over-eager lane assist had me convinced that there was something wrong with the steering with the wheel shuddering now and then before someone explained the feature to me.

“On the other hand, the proximity indicator on the side mirrors is a great feature for a driver like me that struggles with blind spots.”

Skye says she didn’t mind the exterior design: “I like EVs to look a bit different and some of the silver trim I find a bit old fashioned but overall the shape really suits.”

On the interior however, she was less impressed with the BYD Atto 3: “Why does it have a toast rack in the centre console?" "Why are there guitar strings on the side? I hate the upholstery finish and the door handles – these are probably designed to look sporty but just look cheap to me.”

Regarding the seats she adds, “While I found the seats themselves comfortable, they are snug.

As my parents are also considering an EV they also did a fair bit of test driving. Mum was incredibly uncomfortable in the front passenger seat – the lack of lumbar support was a real issue, we had to roll up a jumper for her to pack out some back support.”

“The cargo space is an important factor for me as I’m constantly carting things about the place,” says Skye. “Luckily, I could do a good test as I had to buy a bit of flatpack along with a decent grocery shop. It was super easy to get the seats to lie flat and there was a surprising amount of space. Win!”

“The car handled itself admirably against the bullying tactics of locals on the motorways, kept a nice pace, and was an exceptionally smooth ride,” she says.

“I really had to watch my speed in 40 zones as it’s so zippy, it’s easy to go much faster than you intend to. The car certainly isn’t lacking in the speed or handling departments for city living.”

“The car didn’t need charging while I was at home but I have Sydney’s first council streetpole charging station in my street so this would have been handy,” Skye says.

“Whilst staying at my parents we charged in their apartment garage, and this was a seamless experience, even for first-timers.

“I did use the Plugshare app to find local charging places and they were plentiful in most locations – I intended to do a quick fast charge while out at Windsor, but it seemed one of the few locations to be sadly lacking in any kind of infrastructure.

“One challenge for me though,” she adds, “is the location of the charge port. Like many hopeful buyers of EVs, I live in the city, without the luxury of off-street parking.

“I’m determined to use my excess solar to power my car but to do this will require some creative cable management to get it from the front of my terrace, across the footpath and to the car.

“I don’t understand why you wouldn’t have the port on the passenger side in a country that drives on the left?”

“The joy of driving a well-made car that comes with the satisfaction of knowing you’re minimising your carbon footprint,” says Skye.

“Normally, I tend to limit my trips and do little driving for pleasure – the reduced environmental impact of EVs meant I could jump in my car with abandon and go on more adventures with a clear conscience.”

She has also decided to consider where the chargeport is when buying an EV: “I will be looking at models that have them positioned on the passenger side, or front/rear of the car.

Overall, she says “it was a great experience that cemented my desire to purchase an EV sooner rather than later."

Skye’s responses to our questionnaire have been edited for brevity.