Electric car hire with SIXT

• The battery charge of electric vehicles is recorded at pickup and at return. If the vehicle is over 80% charged at pickup, it must be returned with at least 80% battery charge.*
• If you do not have time to charge the batteries and have not booked a prepaid charging service, this is not a problem. You will only be charged for the electricity (kWh) required to bring the battery up to the charge level at the time of collection, i.e. a maximum of 80%. You can see the corresponding rates at the SIXT station.

*If the vehicle's charge level was below 80% at the time of pickup, the vehicle must be returned with the corresponding charge level.

To save time, when you pick up your vehicle at the SIXT station, you can opt for the prepaid charging service: You can return the vehicle with any battery level and we will charge it at a fixed price.

Yes, all our vehicles come with two charging cables:

• Type 2, which is used to connect to public charging points. The chargers can be found on the street, and at car parks, supermarkets and leisure centers.
• Domestic charging cable. This cable can be used in regular household power outlets.

Yes. SIXT has partnered with Shell Recharge to give you access to the largest charging network in Europe, with over 300.000 charging points. You’ll receive a complementary charging card from Shell Recharge when you pick up your electric vehicle. We recommend that you set up your account prior to the pick-up day to save time. At the station, you can link the card to the account you set up. Keep the charging card when you return the vehicle to reuse on future rentals.

Follow these steps to use the Shell Recharge service:

• Download the Shell Recharge app on the Apple App Store or Google Play store.
• You will receive a complementary charging card at the station when you pick up your electric vehicle.
• Link the card to your Shell Recharge account.

With Shell Recharge, you can easily locate a charging point. Check the map in the Shell Recharge app or on their website. In the map you can filter based on what type of charging you need (ex: fast charging or public charging).

The charging cost and how it’s calculated varies throughout Europe. In some cases, you pay per kilowatt-hour (kWh) used. While in others, you pay per-minute of charging. Some cities also include charging in their parking cost. To avoid any surprises, we suggest looking up charging fees in the Shell Recharge app before starting your charging session.

• Slow charging (street charger): £0,25 - £0,55 per kWh (sometimes parking is included in the charging rate)
• Fast charging: ∼£0,85 per kWh

Example: Charging a Tesla Model Y Long Range with a battery pack of 75 kWh 0-100% would then cost:

• Slow charging: £18,75 - £41,25
• Fast charging: £63,75

You pay for the charging costs through the Shell Recharge app. All you have to do is download the app, register, and connect your credit card or bank account (IBAN) to your Shell Recharge account. Once you’re registered and arrive at the SIXT station, we provide you with a charging card that can be linked to the account you created. Your charging sessions will then be charged directly to your bank account or credit card.

There are several factors impacting the range of an electric car.

Speed: High speeds such as motorway driving increase energy use and therefore reduce your range. Urban driving at a lower speed with stop-and-go traffic generally means lower consumption and a longer range.

Weather: The ideal temperature for maximum range is around 20 degrees Celsius (68 F). In cold weather the battery uses energy to heat both the battery and the interior of the vehicle.

Driving style: Electric cars have a rapid throttle response that makes them fun to drive. However, the maximum range is reached with smooth acceleration and maximum use of the regenerative breaking.

Two factors differentiate the driving behavior of a conventional vehicle versus a battery-powered vehicle.

The first is acceleration, which is significantly better in an electric car versus a conventional car due to the rapid attainment of maximum torque. The second is that electric cars cause virtually no engine noise.

Additionally, the electric motor doesn’t have a transmission, which is why the driver doesn’t have to shift gears and experiences uninterrupted acceleration.

The braking behavior of the electric vehicle is also different. In addition to the conventional brake, it also has a recuperation brake. Here, when the speed is reduced, the electric motor is used as a generator and kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy. In this process, the car brakes and part of the energy released is recovered. In some cases, the recuperation brakes are so powerful that the conventional brake rarely needs to be used.