Teslas Rev Up Driving Service

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For those who want to be driven around in style – and be eco-conscious at the same time – you can now rent a Tesla and driver by the hour.

MotEV, which launched this month in Los Angeles, is an executive car/limousine service that only provides Teslas. Celebrities and executives who want to burnish their environmental credentials can now rent for about $110 an hour one of 11 Tesla vehicles – four Model S sedans and seven Model X SUVs – and a fully licensed driver to whisk them about town.

“We’re targeting customers who really want to make a statement and arrive at an event in a head-turning vehicle,” said MotEV co-founder and Chief Executive Robert Gaskill.

Gaskill, 45, knows a thing or two about driving celebrities around. For the past 23 years, he was actor Morgan Freeman’s personal driver. Looking to transition out, he hatched the company with a partner during a Super Bowl party back in February. (The partner left in August to move on to other ventures.)

Freeman is a backer of the company, and Gaskill has parlayed the relationship to win a lucrative customer: the off-of-set driving in New York for actors Tim Daly and Tea Leoni of CBS’ “Madam Secretary.” The executive producer of the show, Lori McCreary, is Freeman’s business partner.

With awards season coming, Gaskill hopes to lure other eco-conscious celebrities into his Teslas. He also wants to gain a foothold in the corporate convention market.

But is there enough demand? In places such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, yes, according to Karl Brauer, executive publisher of automotive research firm Kelley Blue Book in Irvine.

“There are plenty of image-conscious clients that will enjoy all the statements that Tesla makes,” he said.

– Howard Fine

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Howard Fine
Howard Fine is a 23-year veteran of the Los Angeles Business Journal. He covers stories pertaining to healthcare, biomedicine, energy, engineering, construction, and infrastructure. He has won several awards, including Best Body of Work for a single reporter from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers and Distinguished Journalist of the Year from the Society of Professional Journalists.

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