The Okanagan may not be known for small cars or green driving — but one local business has charged itself with changing that. Vernon-based Power Trips rents out Tesla Model S sedans by the hour, day, weekend or holiday (up to 28 days), throughout the area. When he started the business in February 2017, owner Ryan Silverthorn thought he’d be catering mainly to tourists.“But a large portion of our business has been valley locals,” he says. Many use it as a chance to test-drive an electric vehicle. “They’re hopping into one of our Teslas and it’s their first time in an electric car. Also, the cars are crazy-nice to drive — fast, powerful — they’re unlike any normal sedan out on the road.” And while renting one costs slightly more than renting a similar-size gas guzzler, customers don’t spend a cent on fuel: the Model S battery gets 426 kilometres per charge.
Okanagan Electrified
