Tesla Launches $60-a-Day Car Rentals Straight from the Dealer with Free Supercharging

The carmaker's new rental program lets drivers test features like Full Self-Driving (Supervised) for up to a week.

Last month, Tesla introduced the new lower-priced "Standard" version of the Model 3. Its starting price of $38,630 makes it the least expensive Tesla in the lineup; however, if that's still too steep for your blood, Tesla has recently announced another option for just $60. And it comes with free Supercharging and the supervised version of Full Self-Driving.

If this all sounds too good to be true ... well, you're right. You can’t buy a Tesla from the carmaker for $60, but now, you can rent one.

Tesla enthusiast Sawyer Merritt posted the details of the Tesla rental program on X on Saturday, and the details are fairly straightforward. Under the terms of the new program, you can rent a Tesla for up to seven days, with prices varying per model but starting at $60/day. According to a report by InsideEVs, the $60 rate applies to the Model Y and Model 3. A Cybertruck can be rented for $75/day, and the Model S and Model X will set you back $90/day.

The program allows renters to experience many of the perks of Tesla ownership, including the ability to connect and control their vehicle from a smartphone app, the carmaker's semi-autonomous Full Self-Driving (Supervised) driving aid, and, of course, the Supercharger network that helped propel the brand's EVs to ubiquity. There are no mileage restrictions during the rental period; however, you can’t drive the rental vehicle into another state. You need to be at least 21 years old and hold a valid U.S. driver’s license, a valid credit card, and proof of insurance. Plus, if you order a new Tesla within seven days of your rental experience, you can receive up to a $250 credit towards your purchase. Consider it the perfect try-before-you-buy program for the EV buy-curious.

The only downside: not many people will be able to take advantage of the opportunity, at least not initially. This is a pilot program currently only offered at a small handful of dealers, including Tesla San Diego Miramar. The program runs from now until the end of the year.

The federal electric vehicle tax credit expired at the end of September, and automakers have since been scrambling to come up with ways to keep people interested in EVs. Apparently, Tesla doesn’t think lower-priced models are enough to keep sales going with the loss of the credit. Will spending a week behind the wheel of a Tesla be enough to convince them to buy one? We might well be able to tell based on whether the brand expands the program after the pilot concludes.