Twizy Rental info

[Rewind]

Hello all,

 

It's been a month since we got back from our cruise and I wanted to share some info we had on the Twizy rental.  We arrived at King's Warf and took the first ferry to Hamilton.  Once there, we walked to the Front Street 50 feet away, turned left, and started walking past taller office buildings.  It is fairly obvious when you walk up to the Hamilton Princess Hotel that you have made it, but it was a little confusing where Current Vehicles is.  It is the small guard shack between the driveways to go in and out of the parking lot.  There is no sign facing the street, but if you walk into the parking lot, you will see the sign on the building as you look towards the street.  After a quick check in and to verify that we had downloaded the Maps.Me application with the charge points, we walked out to the Twizy and took a quick test drive around the parking lot. I will say the acceleration is a bit sluggish so when you get out on the road, just slam the pedal down.

 

About the vehicle:

I'm 6'6" and my wife is 5'10" - I drove and she rode in the back.  She said it was a bit difficult to get in and out and would have been uncomfortable if she was any taller.  One thing we did do right is she navigated from the back as I was concentrating on traffic.  I didn't have to look at the map, I was just told when to turn.  Our Twizy had a roof vent which I can see would be nice in the summer, but didn't do a lot for us in early November.  It doesn't move easily but I was able to close it so the wind didn't blow directly on the top of my head while driving.

 

From Hamilton, we drove north east up to King's Square.  We started looking for a parking spot as we were approaching the square but passed by a few.  We turned left just past the square and drove up the hill to the Unfinished Church, made a hard left down almost an alley way, another left, and just happened to find the parking lot with charge points next to the Bedford Guest Suites (there is a small sign just a foot or two off of the ground pointing into the parking lot).  We pulled in and plugged in and then went to explore King's Square (I think we arrived here just before 11am).

 

We wandered King's Square, walked up to the Unfinished Church, and then back to the Twizy.  Another Twizy had just parked as we were getting in to leave.  We drove north to Fort St. Catherine where many people were walking five across in the middle of the road.  They couldn't hear us coming so I did beep the horn real quick (c'mon people, it's a road, not a sidewalk).

 

After this stop we were getting hungry so drove southwest to the Swizzle Inn.  All the charge points here were taken so we just parked in a normal spot.  After lunch we headed straight east past the airport to Clearwater Beach and found the charge point.  We were only there for a couple minutes as it was only in the mid 70s but we stuck our toes in the water.  We then drove back next to the Swizzle Inn to the Crystal and Fantasy Caves where we got the last tours of the day.  From there, we drove southwest and stopped at Horseshoe Bay beach.  It was just starting to get dark out so we didn't stay long.  I did grab some tissues from the rest room here to wipe down the windshield - it was getting hard to see in the dark with junk on the glass.

 

And now came the fun part.  It was just after sunset, a bit before 6pm, and we were now driving to King's Warf in the dark.   Luckily it is pretty much a single main road that takes you all the way there, just have to be careful at a couple turns.

 

As we pulled into the Warf area, I knew there was a charging point somewhere to be found, but I didn't know how to get there.  When you first enter the old buildings area, you are forced to turn left (just before Smithery Lane).  Just after the turn, there are charge points on the left but these are all marked for official use only.  We decided not to risk it and kept going.  We got into the main dockyard area that I was expecting and had a good guess what I was looking for.  As this area turns into one way streets, we had to drive all the way around Maritime Lane (clockwise).  As we passed the cruise ship dock entrance and the Bone Fish Bar & Grill, we turned right to go INTO the dockyard (pic 1).  Just as you get inside, turn left and head to the alley way (pic 2).  Once in the alley, it will make you turn right towards the Frog and Onion and then you will see two charge points on the left.

 

Now we arrived in the dark and there aren't really any good lights back at this spot (and I took some pictures in the morning).  Of course, pulling up "late in the day" meant that there were already five Twizys parked there (pic 3) and each of the two charge points only has two outlets (pic 4).  But one good thing as that while the Twizys are charging, they will display what percentage they are at.  We saw a couple that were around 75-80% done and decided that we could head back to the ship and eat dinner, then come back out and swap a charged Twizy plug for ours.  We got back out a little over an hour later and unplugged one Twizy that was at 100% and plugged ours in.  For all of the driving we had done, our Twizy was around 25% left at the end of the day.

 

The next morning we got a moderate early start - none of the other Twizys had left the Dockyard yet.  I recommend grabbing a towel just for the purpose of wiping down the seats for whatever moisture might have gotten in overnight.  We headed back down to Horseshoe bay to walk around and then drove back to Hamilton to drop of the Twizy and check out the town.

 

Overall I think they are great vehicles, felt much safer than a scooter, and didn't have to worry about a steering wheel on the wrong side.  Even driving on the left wasn't that bad - the only time I felt like I had to think of what I was doing was when I was making a turn or in a round about.

Edited December 8, 2018 by Rewind

[cjcruisin']

Thank you for your post.  My friend and myself are going in May and are thinking of renting a twizy for a day.  My question is ... your post said you parked it over night at the cruise ship... No worries?

CJ

[Rewind]

I think we were in the same mindset - worried about parking the Twizy overnight.  But it was fine, I think we ended up being the last one parked and the first one out in the morning (in the third picture, we are the Twizy sticking out on the right hand side, third one back).  But all six Twizies were still there and nobody else had swapped plugs as I had; everything looked undisturbed.

 

From where the parking spot is inside the dockyard and down the alley to the left, I would say it's a good 5-10 minute walk to the ship depending on your speed.  (Off ship, through the guard shack, down the pier, towards the dockyard, past the Bone Fish bar & grill, turn into the dockyard, left into alley, back to car).

 

Here is the path to get to the charge points:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=10azInCzD-ptiZ-utIsML7UAbORt16K4G&usp=sharing

[cjcruisin']

Thanks,  that is good info. I'm going to call tomorrow to reserve.  CJ

[J_Kepler]

Thanks - that is an incredible amount of information.

[sockmonkeygirl]

is this within walking distance from the Royal Naval Dockyard?

[esm54687]

On 4/3/2019 at 2:27 PM, sockmonkeygirl said:

is this within walking distance from the Royal Naval Dockyard?

is what within walking distance?

the charging station at Frog & Onion?   yes

the place to pick up the Twizy and sign the paperwork?  no

 

Rewind provided a ton of great info 

Edited April 5, 2019 by esm54687

[Rewind]

The Twizys are only rented at two hotels (at least as of Nov 2018).  One is on the south side of the island and you would need to find a bus route or taxi to get there.  The other is in Hamilton which has a ferry the runs from the Dockyard to Hamilton about once an hour.  The ferry is only a few dollars and the location in Hamilton where it docks is just a couple blocks away from the Twizy rental spot.  It is an easy enough walk, no real hills to worry about, and there are sidewalks the entire time.

 

I thought I saw another company that is getting into the 4 wheel rental business but don't know too much about them.

[Charles4515]

35 minutes ago, Rewind said:

The Twizys are only rented at two hotels (at least as of Nov 2018).  One is on the south side of the island and you would need to find a bus route or taxi to get there.  The other is in Hamilton which has a ferry the runs from the Dockyard to Hamilton about once an hour.  The ferry is only a few dollars and the location in Hamilton where it docks is just a couple blocks away from the Twizy rental spot.  It is an easy enough walk, no real hills to worry about, and there are sidewalks the entire time.

 

I thought I saw another company that is getting into the 4 wheel rental business but don't know too much about them.

 

The other company is by Bermuda Rental Cars which is Oleander Cycles.They have a bunch of locations. Also several different types cars. I have not seen any reviews yet. Probably because their car rentals are pretty new. The link for their cars is:is https://bermudarentalcar.com

 

The link for Twizys is https://www.currentvehicles.com

[kba1988]

thanks for this information.  I am wondering if it makes sense to rent the twizy for the entire 3 days were at Bermuda, or just for one day??🤔

[J_Kepler]

49 minutes ago, kba1988 said:

thanks for this information.  I am wondering if it makes sense to rent twizy for the entire 3 days were at her Bermuda, or just for one day??🤔

1

 

I can tell you what we are thinking and I have never been to Bermuda.

We arrive on a Wed.  We are headed to Hamilton that day to check out the street scene.  That would be a 45-minute drive.  I would rather not drive but take the ferry.

 

We plan to rent the vehicle in the afternoon of Day 2 and enjoy driving around through the evening and then through the next day at the same time.

 

I plan to do sunrise and sunset photography on those days.  I will only be doing a one-day rental.

[Charles4515]

51 minutes ago, J_Kepler said:

 

I can tell you what we are thinking and I have never been to Bermuda.

We arrive on a Wed.  We are headed to Hamilton that day to check out the street scene.  That would be a 45-minute drive.  I would rather not drive but take the ferry.

 

Since you have never been I don’t know if you are aware that the roads have no shoulders, there are some very bad drivers, problems with drunk drivers and they drive on the other side of the road than the US. 

[WatchHill]

We rented a Twizy last week, doing an online reservation well in advance. Once off the Summit, we headed to the ferry to Hamilton, and walked to the rental location, adjacent to the Hamilton Princess. After a bit of paperwork, and quick driving skill check, [once around the parking lot], we downloaded the Twizy App, superimposed onto Google Earth, showing all the charging stations. All the places of interest are easily   identified. 

 

I connected my iphone and USB to the hidden port to the left side of the dash and off we sent, to the North Shore Road to St George, stopping at Swizzle Inn where we decided to plug in for a full charge - got to scoot around the bikes as the charging post is adjacent to the bike parking area and a bit tight. Other Twizy drivers all helped guide each other out of the tight space. We spent about an hour in St George, then drove to Tom Moore's Jungle - wish the restaurant was open as it looked so nice. From there, we followed South Road to Middle, stopped to view a few inlets,  and back to the Dock Yard, parking in a lot on our immediate left, against a stone wall - lots of charging posts. The following day, we decided to head to Flatts Village and see the zoo and aquarium, it has been a few decades since we last visited this place. In the parking lot across from the aquarium, DH and another person helped a gentleman exit from the rear seat of the Twizy he and his wife rented, got to have good flexibility getting out of the back seat! We later drove through the botanical gardens, stopped at a light house and eventually dropped the vehicle back in Hamilton. FYI - they do have a key drop box if you are returning the Twizy late at night. 

 

I've been going to Bermuda since undergrad days....long time ago, and have seen all the places of interest.  We both have driven "left side" and thought the Twizy was much easier to handle that London traffic. DH asked one of the guys at Current and he said so far, no accidents.

 

At the dockyard, we walked by Oleander. It had a sign on the door, online only for rentals. They have a very limited number of side-by-side vehicles, plus something similar to a Twizy.  The former being more costly to rent. Prior to this trip, we called our auto insurance company about liability coverage as the 3rd party insurance require in Bermuda only covers you if you hit a person, not crack up the vehicle.  However, they suggested we call our credit card company, and sure enough, we had the coverage in the fine print. 

 

Great way to get around the island;  be sure to plan your road trip to get the max out of the rental.

 

Darcy

Edited May 22, 2019 by WatchHill

[Charles4515]

16 minutes ago, WatchHill said:

 

I've been going to Bermuda since undergrad days....long time ago, and have seen all the places of interest.  We both have driven "left side" and thought the Twizy was much easier to handle that London traffic. DH asked one of the guys at Current and he said so far, no accidents.

 

 

I just saw a video of an electric mini car accident that happend in the last few days. Wrecked. It looked like it was one of the electric cars rented by Oleander.  It was at a roundabout, that is why I mention driving on the left side. Hard to tell the cause but given the location not being familar with left side driving could have been the reason. As the rentals increase there likely will be more accidents. I suggest if renting, rent the Twizy as they have airbags. The Oleander cars don't have airbags. 

[WatchHill]

2 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

 

I just saw a video of an electric mini car accident that happend in the last few days. Wrecked. It looked like it was one of the electric cars rented by Oleander.  It was at a roundabout, that is why I mention driving on the left side. Hard to tell the cause but given the location not being familar with left side driving could have been the reason. As the rentals increase there likely will be more accidents. I suggest if renting, rent the Twizy as they have airbags. The Oleander cars don't have airbags. 

 

When you drive a Twizy, passengers sit front to back, when you rent an electric min car, passengers sit side by side, with the driver on the right side. This is an entirely different perceptual orientation. Some people can make the shift within seconds, while others cannot manage the change of the drier sitting on the right side, but driving left. No accounting of neurological differences until you have to drive opposite side.  With a Twizy, it's like driving a golf cart, but on the "wrong" side of the road.  Yes, air bags are a plus.  

 

The Bermuda gov't, or whoever licences these vehicle, keeps a strict control over how many vehicles are allowed for any agency. Current Vehicles is looking into the side-by-sides,  but so far, no official OK. Bermuda doesn't want their already crowded roads packed with "inexperienced" drivers. Speaking from experience, I've driven "real" cars in England, and find the Twizy experience to be a very good and a faster and easier brain adjustment. Since I'm from MA, using a round-about isn't that difficult. Look right, not left. 

 

Darcy

[Charles4515]

46 minutes ago, WatchHill said:

 

 

The Bermuda gov't, or whoever licences these vehicle, keeps a strict control over how many vehicles are allowed for any agency. Current Vehicles is looking into the side-by-sides,  but so far, no official OK. Bermuda doesn't want their already crowded roads packed with "inexperienced" drivers. Speaking from experience, I've driven "real" cars in England, and find the Twizy experience to be a very good and a faster and easier brain adjustment. Since I'm from MA, using a round-about isn't that difficult. Look right, not left. 

 

 

Four of us rented a car in England for two weeks and drove all over England and Scotland. One mistake was picking up the car in London. I ended up being the sole driver of us four as the other three had problems getting adjusted. They kept almost driving off the side.

 

As far as packing the roads with inexperienced drivers, the Bermuda government announced a few days ago they plan to greatly expand the number of rental mini-cars for tourists. They plan on allowing 500. So strict control is ending. That should be interesting. 

 

http://www.royalgazette.com/politics/article/20190517/transport-green-paper-tabled

Edited May 23, 2019 by Charles4515

[J_Kepler]

The left side doesn't bother me (of course I am always more worried about the other drivers)

I drove for weeks in Grenda which is also left side and very very bad roads.

 

The only thing for me is being able to get out early before sunset to get images.

Edited May 23, 2019 by J_Kepler

[HMC RET]

How much does it cost

[J_Kepler]

Just now, HMC RET said:

How much does it cost

 

I think $150 ish per day?

[Charles4515]

26 minutes ago, HMC RET said:

How much does it cost

 

Check out the two websites which I put links to in post #9. 

[njhorseman]

28 minutes ago, HMC RET said:

How much does it cost

 

27 minutes ago, J_Kepler said:

 

I think $150 ish per day?

A Twizy rented from Current Vehicles costs $99 per day plus a one-time charge of $30 for insurance, which will cover the entire rental period.

[Charles4515]

31 minutes ago, J_Kepler said:

 

I think $150 ish per day?

 

The Twizy has been $99 a day plus insurance. The other company with side by side seat cars has different vehicles at different price points. 

Edited May 23, 2019 by Charles4515

[Charles4515]

For those interested in the safety of the mini cars they don’t have very good safety ratings. The Tazzari has one star out of five and the Twizy gets two stars out of five. As I mentioned the Twizy at least has an airbag. I will pass on renting these myself. Driving on Bermuda roads won’t be like driving on a golf course. 

 

https://cdn.euroncap.com/media/22128/tazzari_zero_2014_datasheet.pdf

 

https://cdn.euroncap.com/media/22129/renault_twizy_80_2014_datasheet.pdf

 

 

 

 

[Gettys84]

How fast does the first ferry fill up once the ship docks in port?  We are arriving to port around 1pm and I see on the ferry info page that a schedule ferry is at 2pm.  Did the rental place suggest it was ok to park the rental over night at the dock?

[WatchHill]

2 hours ago, Gettys84 said:

How fast does the first ferry fill up once the ship docks in port?  We are arriving to port around 1pm and I see on the ferry info page that a schedule ferry is at 2pm.  Did the rental place suggest it was ok to park the rental over night at the dock?

 Try to be one of the first off the ship and head to the visitors center, adjacent to the ferry dock, and get your ferry tokens. Then get in line. The ferry  holds lots of passengers, many standing. 

No problem leaving the Twiz at a charging station at the Dockyard.  Their App shows all the places you can charge the vehicle.  When we left it on the first evening, there were a few others there, too. The following morning when we went to get back to our island road trip, the parking area was about 80% of capacity. It's about a 10 minute walk back to the ship. 

 

Darcy