A Tesla Road Trip Courtesy of Hertz

(Bloomberg) --

In the early days of Tesla, the company led by Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk would let reporters borrow cars — a common practice in the automotive industry to give journalists what's known as “wheel time.” I drove a fully loaded Model S sedan to Yosemite National Park, and was able to borrow a Model X for a long weekend as well.

Tesla never lent me a Model 3, and it's been a while since I've driven one. So last week, I rented a Model 3 from Hertz, which announced in October that it ordered 100,000 Teslas as part of its plan to overhaul the brand and electrify its rental-car fleet.

This is a smart move by Hertz. With climate change, Russia invading Ukraine and rising gas prices, consumers are increasingly interested in electric vehicles but don't know where to begin. It's wise to spend time driving a car before buying one. Renting a vehicle for a long weekend is the best way to experience what driving electric is really like. (Disclosure: Bloomberg has a corporate relationship with Hertz, and I was able to use my corporate discount as part of the rental.)

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where Tesla cars are a common sight. So I took a BART train to San Francisco International Airport, then the AirTrain two stops to the Hertz rental car location to pick up the Model 3. A new, white, Long Range Model 3 with all of 9 miles on it was waiting for me. The Tesla has over 350 miles of range, which for my needs was plenty. The vehicle came with Autopilot — Tesla's name for its driver assistance feature.

I counted roughly 20 Tesla cars at the Hertz location when I arrived on a Tuesday morning. When Hertz reported earnings last month, interim CEO Mark Fields said Tesla cars were available in nine cities, and that customers have been happy with the program.

Leading up to my rental, Hertz sent several emails about what I should expect: how to lock and unlock the car with the key card, how to charge the car, how to check in via the Hertz app, which I downloaded for the first time.

At SFO, a Hertz employee gave me a brief rundown of the vehicle, and then I was off. I parked in my driveway that night, and the next day my family and I drove roughly 80 miles south to Santa Cruz. Tesla's infotainment system has all kinds of features, and a big hit was Caraoke, Tesla's version of karaoke.

For me, the biggest thing I noticed driving the Tesla was how vast Tesla's charging network has become. Tesla owns and operates over 3,200 direct current fast chargers, which Tesla calls “Superchargers,” globally. In recent public comments with the regulatory commission of Alaska, Tesla said that “creating a seamless and convenient charging experience is key to enabling mass market EV adoption because it ensures people do not need to compromise to drive electric.” Tesla's Supercharger network has been in operation since 2012. There's an EV infrastructure sprouting up all around us. I've known that as a reporter, but you don't fully appreciate it until you are using it.

Hertz had a promotion where Supercharging was free on rentals through the end of February. Effective March 1, if you charge at a Tesla Supercharger, Hertz will pass through the charging fees onto your credit card. (You can also use a third-party station and pay on the spot, as if you were at a gas station.)

Since the Model 3 I rented had so much range, I never worried about running out of juice. I used to be notorious about driving my gas-powered car until the gas tank was flashing an empty sign, because I hate going to a gas station. With an electric car, I keep a closer eye on the battery and tend to top off, or charge, once I fall below 50%. During our 48 hours in Santa Cruz, we charged once: in a Whole Foods parking lot. We chatted with another Tesla owner while we waited. Later, when we got home, there was plenty of charge left over, but I plugged in again at the Emeryville Public Market before returning the car to Hertz, a fast and easy process.

As corporate business travel resumes, people will be able to try out Tesla cars as part of their next business trip. This is a win for everyone: Hertz is able to differentiate itself from other car rental companies, and more consumers will try the Tesla brand. I don't own a Tesla, but I still have the Hertz app on my phone.