I know you’ve seen it all over the news: Elon Musk recently took to the stage at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank to spotlight what he says is the future of transportation — and show off his army of cowboy hat-wearing robots. Will any of this make it to production and into our driveways? Well, we’ll see.
Rent your next car from a person like you - or rent out your own
If you travel for business or pleasure, renting a car is always an excellent option for exploring a new city or simply getting to where you need to go. But, like buying a car, renting a car can be a time-consuming and expensive process.
With insurance coverage, mileage limits and the extensive paperwork needed to be signed, sometimes it feels easier just to take a taxi or use a ride share versus renting a car.
We’ve seen a trend in alternatives to traditional car rentals in the form of one-to-one vehicle rentals. Let’s look at three alternatives to the big-name, big-budget conventional car rental companies.
Get a car or rent out your own
Getaround is an option for those looking to rent a car for an upcoming trip and those looking to make extra income by renting their vehicle.
The rental process is very simple. You can browse hundreds of rental cars in your area. Choose the one you like and within 60 seconds, your driver’s license and credit card will be verified. There are convenient hourly and daily rentals and no membership or annual fees.
If you wish to share your car, choose when your vehicle is available and Getaround will handle the rest. Getaround screens prospective drivers, ensuring that your car’s driver has a safe driving record.
They also include $1,000,000 in primary insurance with each rental. Getaround provides the car owner and driver with 24/7 roadside assistance and customer support during a rental.
You can list your car or find a rental car using the Getaround apps available on Android and Apple devices. To learn more, check out the Getaround website here.
Airbnb for rental cars
This cheap tool can help you spot whether a used car has been in an accident
You should know everything about a vehicle before buying it, but sellers don’t make it easy to understand all the necessary information. In fact, some could be trying to hide details so you don’t get the car for a lower price.
If it’s been a while: Visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall lookup page. Enter your VIN in the search field to see any safety recalls for your vehicle. If none appear, you’re good to go.
Why many new EVs are already outdated
You’d think a brand-new electric vehicle would be the latest and greatest, huh? Not always. Lots of them are already falling behind the curve.
⚡ Electric hopes, gasoline habits: An extended-range electric vehicle, or EREV, is an EV with a gas engine that acts as a generator. It could eliminate the range anxiety dilemma for new EV drivers. Here’s the catch: Owners of hybrid vehicles often skip plugging in and just rely on gas; EREV drivers will probably end up doing the same.
You might think electric cars are new. Nope! Who gets credit for inventing the first electric vehicle? This is a tough one. Was it … A.) Thomas Edison in 1893, B.) Nikola Tesla in 1923, C.) Thomas Davenport in 1834 or D.) Karl Benz in 1941?
Renting a car? This mistake puts your data and money at risk
Going on vacation out of state or on a business trip, you sometimes need a mode of transportation. Ride-sharing companies are one option, but it’s more convenient to rent a car.
For the most part, renting a vehicle is done through a reputable agency or a recommendation of family and friends. But a recent rental car shortage might have left you empty-handed and stranded.
Vehicle recall: 737K Fords recalled for brake failure and fire risk
The last few months have been challenging for SUV and sedan owners, as several technical faults led to various recalls. Recently, General Motors identified that some GMC Terrain models have too bright headlights.
The recall notice spanned 740,000 vehicles. But before that, Volkswagen sent recall notices to 250,000 Atlas owners, advising them to stop using their vehicles as some models could suddenly engage the parking brake.
Police pull over a Waymo driving on the wrong side of the road
Waymo says the vehicle was confused by construction signs and stayed in the oncoming lane for 30 seconds because “it was blocked from navigating back into the correct lane.” Luckily, no one was hurt.
🚗 Airbag scam: If your airbags go off, shady garages will replace ‘em with cheap ones (or none at all). You won’t know until it’s too late, and those airbags can injure or kill you. If you have a used car or are thinking about buying one, go to Carfax and plug in the vehicle identification number (VIN). They’ll tell you for free if your car’s airbags have ever gone off.
Say “No way” to Waymo: A Phoenix police officer pulled over a self-driving Waymo veering into oncoming traffic. Waymo says the vehicle was confused by the construction signs. Nobody got hurt. Check out the video here.
☄️Taking out the space trash: The International Space Station, home to astronauts for almost 25 years, is set to meet its fiery end in 2030. Elon Musk’s SpaceX is building a “space tug” vehicle to pull it toward Earth, earning $843 million from NASA for the gig. It’ll be an unmanned mission; both the tug and the ISS are expected to burn up upon reentry into the atmosphere.
Underwater drone: An UUV (uncrewed underwater vehicle) called Manta Ray just underwent testing off the coast of California. Shaped just like its namesake, the massive Manta Ray can glide below the waves with almost zero wake. It can also be taken apart and reassembled in the field, Ikea-style, for easy transport. Check it out in action!
Where to find hidden trackers in your car
Feel like you’re being followed? Here’s where to search for AirTags, Tiles, or any other GPS trackers on your vehicle.
5 signs a hidden GPS tracker on your car
Are you hearing strange sounds from your car’s wheel well? In just 60 seconds, I’ll reveal the telltale signs of a hidden tracker in your vehicle.
Ford has a better idea for its EVs
Falling behind on car payments? Ford wants to repossess your vehicle without you. Here’s my take, in one minute.
Here’s what the long-rumored Apple Car might look like
You can forgive yourself if you completely forgot that in between all the iPads and iPhones, Apple is somewhere working on a vehicle as well. The rumors of an Apple Car started to swirl as far back as 2014, but all indications are the project was scrapped two years later.
The Hummer returns as electric truck to take on Tesla - first look
Do you remember the first time you saw a Hummer driving around town? You may have thought you slept for way too long and woke up in the middle of a war zone. That’s because the massive trucks originally designed for military use became super popular once they were made available to consumers.