By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

Resla is disrupting the rental car industry by offering only high-end Teslas with cutting-edge design, safety and technology to visitors and residents.

With a temporary location in the Airpark, the Columbia, Missouri-based Resla will soon find its Scottsdale home at Doubletree and 92nd Street, according to Ryan Irwin, Resla general manager.

“Right now, we’re a super beta start-up,” Irwin says.

“We have a website, a solid team in Arizona and Columbia, and we’re bringing on other employees. We have 45 Model 3 and 40 Model Y in Arizona, and an additional 25 Model X, and Model S, Model 3 and Model Y in Missouri. We have a total fleet between 105 and 115 cars.”

The cars are easy to drive, with the supercharging network continually expanding. Teslas feature over-the-air updates, as they’re connected to satellite or cellular service.

“The cars are continually updated. If you buy a 2018 car by another brand, as the vehicle progresses, the software stays the same. With Tesla, the 2018 body style will be the same, but you’ll have 2023 software inside the vehicle.

“It’s more than just driving a car, even though it’s just driving a car. It’s super simple, and we’re all familiar with touch screens.”

Renting is just as easy. It is contactless, seamless and friction free, according to Irwin. Pickup is available 24/7.

“We have our web-based app,” he says. “You book the car and choose a pickup location. If it’s after hours, they choose a pickup location that we’re going to have designated across the city.

“Once they confirm their reservation, they pay for the time they’re expecting to use it. They get a code on their phone, and it gives them access to vehicles. The contract will be done digitally. There’s 24-hour-a-day support.”

Going forward, Resla’s staff hopes to branch out to Texas, Chicago, California, Seattle and Denver. So far, the response has been positive to Resla’s service.

“I think it comes down to it’s more than just a vehicle,” he says. “It’s a tool. It makes driving so much easier. It’s comfortable and safer, based on statistics and awards they won. The Y and 3 are the safest. Tesla has three of the top five safest cars.”

Irwin says Resla is laden with opportunities. The company is hoping to get into the fleet management side of the auto rental industry. They would like to work with small- to medium-size businesses with mini fleets, or have a Tesla on-site for out-of-town guests.

Irwin can speak for the Tesla brand.

“I drive one on the daily,” he says. “If I’m going to be an advocate for the brand and the company, I have to be familiar with it.”