Image: Outbound
Queensland tech start-up Outbound announced has installed a Tesla Model 3 at a Gold Coast hotel in Southport, where it will be available for hotel guests to use as part of a “shared mobility” concept.
The Tesla Model 3 is now considered one of the numerous hotel amenities available at Mantra at Sharks, land hotel guests need only use the Outbound app to book the car, a move which the company hopes will start “electrifying” the Australian tourism industry.
“Mantra at Sharks is the first hotel property on the Gold Coast to launch the Outbound service and we’re excited to offer this mode of transport to our guests,” said Courtney Tahu, a manager at Mantra at Sharks.
“This service provides a clean, sustainable transport alternative and also features a facility for guests to charge their own electric vehicle.”
Mantra at Sharks’ Tesla Model 3 is available to be hired out through the app for $30 per hour, which includes insurance and a full battery charge.
“This is a really exciting development for the Australian tourism industry,” Outbound CEO Luke Rust. “The app is really easy to use – guests just sign up, reserve the car and unlock it using their phone.
Rust is currently in discussions to expand the Outbound “shared mobility” scheme to other hotels on the Gold Coast, as well as hotels in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.
“People want to maximise their time and fun on the Gold Coast,” said Rust.
“Especially with fuel prices going up, a road trip to the Coast is becoming increasingly expensive – with Outbound, tourists can perhaps jet into Coolangatta, stay at the hotel, and still go anywhere they want using the EV.”
In addition to its value as a hotel amenity, Rust also expects the concept of shared EVs to grow in residential and commercial buildings, where owners and tenants would have access to an EV or two, helping to reduce the need for individual private vehicle ownership.
“The cost of owning a personal car can reach $17,000 per year,” said Rust. “If communal EVs were available for use, and that could just be included in your body corporate fees, you could cut a huge chunk of that expense. Not to mention, save on parking space and improve local air quality.”
Keyword: Pool, gym, EV: Tesla Model 3 joins Gold Coast hotel as share car