A lively discussion kicks off with hosts Christian and Doug sharing personal anecdotes about their automotive adventures, including Doug's endurance driving and a memorable Jeep Wrangler story. The episode features guest Ray Vardy, founder of Eon Rides, who introduces an innovative EV ride-sharing service that connects users with electric vehicles seamlessly. Ray shares his journey from a Jeep-loving teenager to creating a business that simplifies car sharing, making it accessible and efficient. The conversation touches on nostalgia, family connections, and the evolution of car ownership in today's world.
What happens when a 16-year-old buys a doorless, topless Jeep Wrangler with Bar Mitzvah money, then inherits his dad's Tesla with no way to pay for it?
Rei Vardi turned a college student's nightmare into a thriving business. His 1995 Jeep Wrangler—complete with red rims, no airbags, and a top speed of 50 mph—taught him to love driving. But when his father's 2015 Tesla Model S became his problem to solve, Rei discovered that renting out electric vehicles was nearly impossible. Someone even robbed a bank in his car.
Instead of giving up, he built Eon Rides, a virtual fleet that's revolutionizing how we think about car sharing and electric vehicles.
In this episode, discover:
The authentic joy of driving a "beautiful piece of junk" first car
Why traditional car sharing fails (and what Ray did differently)
How family, entrepreneurship, and automotive passion collide
The surprising connection between a Jeep Wrangler and a Land Rover Defender named Sasha
Guest: Rei Vardi, Founder of Eon Rides (eonrides.com)
Join Doug and Christian for another unforgettable automotive story where every car tells a tale, and every tale reveals something deeper about the drivers who love them.
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Listen on your favorite platform and visit https://carsloved.com for full episodes, our automotive blog, Guest Road Trip Playlist and our new CAR-ousel of Memories photo archive.
Don't Forget to Rate & Review to keep the engines of automotive storytelling—and personal restoration—running strong.
".... But what does it say? Because I can't read it. DeLorean Motor Company. And let's let's move this differe..."
The DeLorean DMC-12 is a cool car that looks different from most because it has doors that open up like wings. It became really popular because it was in a famous movie about time travel. People often talk about it because of its unique style and the interesting story behind its creation.
The DeLorean DMC-12 is a sports car that became famous for its unique design, featuring gull-wing doors and a stainless steel body. Produced in the early 1980s, it gained iconic status largely due to its role in the 'Back to the Future' movie franchise. Its significance lies in its innovative design and the story of its troubled production under John DeLorean.
"...this is fantastic. But what does it say? Because I can't read it. DeLorean Motor Company. And let's let's move this different. Live the dream. Oh, that is really neat..."
The DeLorean Motor Company is a car company that made a famous car called the DeLorean DMC-12. This car is known for its unique design and was featured in movies, making it quite popular.
The DeLorean Motor Company was an American automobile manufacturer founded by John DeLorean in 1975. It is best known for producing the DeLorean DMC-12, a sports car that became famous for its distinctive stainless steel body and gull-wing doors, particularly after its appearance in the 'Back to the Future' film series.
"...the other side of it has the last says VIN has the VIN number. The last four digits of my VIN number. So this was a semi customer customized from DeLorean Motor Company..."
A VIN, or Vehicle Identification Number, is like a car's fingerprint. It's a special code that helps identify a specific vehicle and contains important information about it.
VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number, a unique code used to identify individual motor vehicles. It typically consists of 17 characters and provides information about the vehicle's make, model, year, and place of manufacture.
"...trying to figure out how to get up to New Jersey to pick up my DeLorean because it's now fixed..."
The DeLorean is a unique car that has a shiny metal body and doors that open upwards. It's famous for appearing in movies, especially 'Back to the Future.'
The DeLorean is a sports car manufactured by the DeLorean Motor Company, known for its distinctive stainless steel body and gull-wing doors. It gained fame as the time machine in the 'Back to the Future' movie franchise.
"...Tried to go to my 300 ZX buddy who lives nearby..."
The 300 ZX is a sporty car made by Nissan, known for being fast and stylish. It was popular in the 80s and 90s and is part of a family of cars called Z-cars.
The Nissan 300 ZX is a sports car that was part of the Z-car family, known for its performance and advanced technology during its production years in the 1980s and 1990s. It features a sleek design and was available in both coupe and convertible forms.
"...especially if you have an electric car, going from an electric car to a non one. I mean, you did the opposite when you rented a Chevy Bolt and with a big adjustment, wasn't it?"
An electric car runs on electricity instead of gasoline. It uses batteries to power an electric motor, which makes it quieter and often cheaper to run than regular cars.
An electric car is a vehicle that is powered entirely or partially by electricity, using electric motors instead of traditional internal combustion engines. They are known for being more environmentally friendly and often have lower operating costs compared to gasoline-powered vehicles.
"...when you rented a Chevy Bolt and with a big adjustment, wasn't it? Indeed, indeed it was."
The Chevy Bolt is a fully electric car made by Chevrolet. It can drive long distances on a single charge and is designed to be a practical option for people looking to switch to electric vehicles.
The Chevrolet Bolt is an all-electric hatchback that offers a practical range and features for everyday driving. It is known for its affordability in the electric vehicle market and has been praised for its spacious interior and technology offerings.
"...hopefully I'm going to pronounce it right, Ian Rides, but it's Ray Vardy. And he's got a EV ride sharing company that I will let him explain much better how it works."
Ian Rides is a company that allows people to rent electric cars instead of regular ones. This helps more people try out electric vehicles without having to buy one first.
Ian Rides is a ride-sharing company that focuses on electric vehicles, providing an alternative to traditional car rental services. This company aims to promote the use of electric cars by making them accessible for short-term use.
"...my first car was a 1995 Jeep Wrangler. It was a four cylinder manual transmission, had no airbags, no top, no doors..."
The Jeep Wrangler is a tough vehicle designed for off-road driving. The 1995 version is known for its simple design and ability to handle rough terrain, making it a favorite for adventure seekers.
The Jeep Wrangler is a compact and mid-size four-wheel drive off-road vehicle known for its ruggedness and versatility. The 1995 model is part of the YJ generation, which features a boxy design and is popular among off-road enthusiasts.
"...it had drum brakes, so they were super unresponsive. The car could only go like 50 miles an hour..."
Drum brakes are a kind of brake system that uses a round drum to stop the car. They are not as strong as the more common disc brakes found in many modern cars.
Drum brakes are a type of braking system where brake shoes press against the inside of a spinning drum to create friction and slow the vehicle down. They are generally less effective than disc brakes, especially in high-performance situations.
"...this matte black, beat up looking Jeep Wrangler with red rims. The wheels had these red rims, and I was like, that's all right..."
Rims are the metal parts of a car's wheels that hold the tires. They can come in different colors and styles, and changing them can make a car look cooler or more unique.
Rims, also known as wheels, are the circular metal parts of a vehicle that hold the tires. The color and design of rims can significantly affect a vehicle's appearance and style.
"...There's something about a jeep. There's something about a Volkswagen...."
Volkswagen is a car company from Germany that makes many different types of cars, some of which are very popular around the world.
Volkswagen is a German automotive manufacturer known for producing a wide range of vehicles, including the iconic Beetle and the Golf. The brand emphasizes quality, innovation, and performance.
"...I've owned several Jeeps, CJ7, a couple Wranglers,..."
The Jeep CJ7 is a tough, older model designed for off-roading. Many people love it for its ability to handle rough terrain and for the fun of driving it.
The Jeep CJ7 is a classic off-road vehicle known for its ruggedness and versatility. It was produced from 1976 to 1986 and is popular among off-road enthusiasts for its capability and customization options.
"...I told him he might want to do something with the transmission. He never did. I think he put a new engine in it..."
The transmission is the part of the car that helps it change gears and move. It connects the engine to the wheels and is important for how the car drives.
The transmission is a crucial component of a vehicle that transfers power from the engine to the wheels, allowing the car to move. It can be automatic or manual, affecting how the vehicle drives and performs.
"no airbags, no doors, manual transmission that couldn't go beyond 50 miles per hour. Well-worn, well-loved."
Airbags are safety cushions in cars that pop out to protect you if there's an accident. They help keep you safe during a crash.
Airbags are safety devices in vehicles that inflate rapidly during a collision to protect passengers from injury. They are a standard feature in modern cars to enhance safety.
"...that car gives me that high of just, you know, just feeling like you're just connected to the mechanics of the car..."
Driver connection is how it feels to be in control of a car while driving. When a car gives you good feedback and responds well, it makes driving more enjoyable.
Driver connection refers to the feeling of being in tune with a vehicle's mechanics and performance, often resulting in a more engaging and enjoyable driving experience. This connection can be influenced by factors like vehicle feedback, responsiveness, and the overall driving dynamics.
"...I actually took my Bar Mitzvah money and I used it to help me buy my first convertible, which was a Miata. Wow, that's awesome..."
The Mazda MX-5 Miata is a small, fun car that you can drive with the top down. It's known for being light and easy to handle, making it enjoyable to drive.
The Mazda MX-5 Miata is a lightweight two-seat convertible sports car known for its nimble handling and fun driving experience. It's often celebrated for its connection to the driver and engaging driving dynamics.
Jeep is a car brand that makes tough vehicles, often used for off-roading. They're popular for their ability to handle rough terrains and are loved by many drivers.
Jeep is a brand known for its rugged vehicles, particularly the Wrangler, which is popular for off-roading and outdoor activities. The brand has a strong following and is often associated with adventure and durability.
"...we sold it for more money than we bought it for. Yeah. Jeeps hold their value..."
Resale value is how much money you can get back when you sell your car. Some cars, like Jeeps, keep their value better than others, so you can sell them for a good price later.
Resale value refers to the amount of money a vehicle can be sold for after its initial purchase. Some vehicles, like Jeeps, tend to hold their value well, meaning they can be sold for a price close to what they were bought for.
"...this was like the coolest thing you'd have seen. This was like a quantum leap forward with cars, especially going from a manual transmission to a car that was just..."
The Tesla Model S is a high-end electric car known for its impressive features and long driving range. It's considered a major step forward in car technology compared to traditional gasoline cars.
The Tesla Model S is an all-electric luxury sedan that has been praised for its performance, technology, and range. It represents a significant advancement in electric vehicle technology and has set benchmarks for the industry.
"...I tried Uber for a little bit, that didn't work. And then I, then I started renting the car out."
Ridesharing is when people use their own cars to give rides to others for money, like using apps such as Uber. It's a way to make money by driving people around.
Ridesharing refers to services like Uber and Lyft, where drivers use their personal vehicles to provide transportation to passengers in exchange for a fee. This model allows individuals to earn money by driving others to their destinations.
"...And then I started renting the car out. That really didn't work. That was a terrible idea."
Car rental is when you pay to use a car for a short time, like a few days or weeks, instead of buying one. It's useful for people who need a car for a trip or special occasion.
Car rental is a service that allows individuals to rent vehicles for a short period of time, typically ranging from a few hours to several days. This can be a convenient option for those who need a car temporarily without the commitment of ownership.
"...vorite car, her whole life has been a Land Rover Defender. What we did is over a two year process, this had..."
The Land Rover Defender is a tough car that can handle rough roads and off-road adventures. It's been around for a long time and is loved by people who enjoy exploring nature. Many people talk about it because it's both stylish and very capable.
The Land Rover Defender is a rugged, off-road vehicle known for its durability and capability in challenging terrains. It has a rich history dating back to the 1940s and has become an icon in the world of adventure and exploration. Its significance lies in its blend of classic design and modern technology, making it a favorite among outdoor enthusiasts.
"restored from the 80s to be completely redone. Oh, Bill has the same aesthetic and the same authenticity back then..."
Restoration means fixing up an old car to make it look and work like new again. It's like giving the car a makeover while keeping its original style.
Restoration in automotive terms refers to the process of bringing a vehicle back to its original condition or improving it while maintaining its classic features. This can involve mechanical repairs, bodywork, and interior refurbishments.
"...the same aesthetic and the same authenticity back then, but renewed and renovated for the current age..."
Aesthetic is about how something looks and feels. In cars, it means the design and style that people find beautiful or appealing.
Aesthetic refers to the visual appeal or design characteristics of a vehicle. It encompasses elements like color, shape, and overall style, which can evoke emotional responses from enthusiasts and owners.
"...the thing about Land Rovers, man, especially that vintage, they look like they can take on the world. I mean, like they could just punch a hole in a wall. And yet, you know, very refined once you get inside..."
Land Rover is a brand that makes tough, luxury SUVs. Older models are known for being able to handle rough terrain while still being comfortable inside.
Land Rover is a British manufacturer known for its luxury SUVs, particularly those designed for off-road capability. The vintage models are often celebrated for their rugged design and luxurious interiors.
Select text to request an explanation
Welcome back to all the cars I've loved before your authoritative podcast on automotive nostalgia
where our guests are unique. Each auto has an era. Every car tells a story. So you know it's
time to plug in, get a little greased under the nails and slip on that favorite car themed t-shirt,
hat or jacket. And before we bring Doug in, I have to ask about the weather. I have to know
what the weather is doing there because here in Florida, it's turned nice, it's turned humid,
but live folks drop leaves. So I spent a whole lot of yesterday raking leaves and I was on Amazon
today looking to buy a brand new high performance metal tined rake. So let's bring our co-host in
here. Doug, Doug, did you do any raking today or over the weekend? No, I did not. I was going up to,
I was in the car all weekend driving all over including going up to look at a college.
Marathon man in New York and back all in one day. Now is endurance driving a thing? Is endurance
driving a thing? Because yeah, I remember, what do you think? Well, I think you would win that if
it was. Yeah, so a little bit and this is an exclusive scoop that no one will care about.
I've known Doug for a long time and he had a boat that got a lot of use with his family
and when he said, well, it's a better story if I've been the truth slightly. And Doug said, hey,
there's this boat sitting in my backyard. Christian, come and get it. And of course,
I got nothing better to do. So I drove a thousand miles, picked up the boat and turned around and
drove a thousand miles back. And what was it? I guess there's 2000 miles and 48 hours. And I don't
know if that's endurance driving, but it was probably 15, 16, 17 hours of wheel turning time.
Thank you for not having the boat ready. And we had to prep it in a driving rainstorm with
about a foot of mud inside of it. I really appreciate that. But anyway, not a problem.
Not a problem. This is what we do for friends. I'm glad you had a lot of fun with it.
All right. Unexpected belly laugh. We'll talk about that in another episode. But all right,
our man with the plan got all the options and fires on most of his cylinders some of the time.
So what's with the shirt? What do we got? What do we have? What shirt do we have today?
This is I've not seen that. Yeah, I haven't worn it in a while. So this is fantastic.
But what does it say? Because I can't read it. DeLorean Motor Company. And let's let's move
this different. Live the dream. Oh, that is really neat. So at the bottom and see 1981.
And the other side of it. Okay. Okay. Do the pirouette. Let's let's go.
The other side of it has the last says VIN has the VIN number. The last four digits of my VIN
number. So this was a semi customer customized from DeLorean Motor Company. Yeah. They were
selling them. You put in your VIN number in your year and they produced you a semi custom shirt.
That is lovely. I'm all about the one on one. Yeah. And the need is saying, all right,
but if you're on YouTube and we can tease this little piece out what I love about the shirt.
Okay. Back up a shade. And at the bottom where it says 1981 or tilt it down. Yeah. The other
backup. It has crossed pistons, which I have to say is really, really clever. Like cross swords,
you know, like the Virginia Cavaliers or something. That is a that is most fantastic. So
you what was happened in the garage this weekend? Anything big? I was raking leaves. What were you
doing? As I said, I was on the road, children and colleges. Trying to figure out how to get
up to New Jersey to pick up my DeLorean because it's now fixed. And along with it, haven't made it
up there. Yeah. Yeah. So it's, it's on the list. Tried to go to my 300 ZX buddy who lives nearby and
pick up a starter diode, starter relay. Okay. And didn't make it over there either. So every
It's amazing. I made a list of all these things I wanted to do over the weekend as this beautiful
list. And I'm a compulsive list maker. My lists have lists. And I was getting ready to and this
clipboard, but, you know, friends and parties and get togethers. I only got five or six items
crossed off the list. So there's always next weekend. Hey, that's right. Beautiful stuff.
We got to move on. Cannot wait to get today's guest. Very exciting. But gotta say, if you
like what you hear, tell a family member, coworker, friend, telling enemy, we don't care. Because you
know what we do? We bring people together on this show all over the world. Yes. We are heard
what Asia, Europe, Australia, everywhere, South America here, Antarctica, I don't know about.
Do penguins get wifi? Unsure, but we can look into that. So carslove.com. Check out our link tree.
Can you spell it for me? L-I-N-K-T-R dot ee slash cars loved. Got it. One day I'll get that right,
but I always, I always get it wrong here. And if you like what you're hearing, please leave a review
and let us know what you think. Let's see, on podcast, podcasting platform of choice,
YouTube on the site. What's that? Reviews on Apple podcasts would be best. Absolutely. We'll take
emails. We'll take texts. You can actually send us a text directly through the podcast itself.
When you go to your podcasting platform of choice, find our show. There'll be a link where you can
send a text directly to our inboxes. Yeah, for sure. And email works. It does.
Cars Christian at carslove.com, Doug at carslove.com. You can catch us regular mail at
one cars talk plaza. Carrier pigeon is also fine. They always end up at Doug's house. I don't know
why. It must be the suet of the seed. But moving on, gotta get today's guest here in the show.
Hey, how about this for a theme? I thought of a theme just now. What is it? Some batteries included.
Love it. Now, let's hear about how today's guest made it into your virtual garage.
Yeah. So, I'm always looking at different cars and different cars. You have a billion friends,
it happens. Electric cars. And I've thought about what am I going to do if I go somewhere else and
I can't drive my own car traveling. And you get used to your own car, you're used to it,
you have to adapt, especially if you have an electric car, going from an electric car to a
non one. I mean, you did the opposite when you rented a Chevy Bolt and with a big adjustment,
wasn't it? Indeed, indeed it was. Yeah. So, we found this nice gentleman with a company,
hopefully I'm going to pronounce it right, Ian Rides, but it's Ray Vardy. And he's got a EV ride
sharing company that I will let him explain much better how it works. Ray, welcome to the show.
How are you today? Hey, guys. How you doing? Fantastic. So much better that you're here.
And tell us a little bit about this home office here. I just see this welcoming space. And
I think I want to drive by and check email for a little bit. Yeah, maybe come work with us,
co-work for a bit. We're here based in New York City. This home office is super lucky to have.
It's the shortest commute you can find in New York. So, I sleep about 20 feet from here. And so,
I've got this office space here that my team comes into. And we all work together at home.
And it sure beats how we work. Put it that way. Dig it. Talk about a one-stop shop. So,
wow, tell us a little bit about your company and what you're into these days.
Yeah, absolutely. So, I run Ian, which is what we call the virtual fleet. And essentially,
what we do is we connect unused cars, specifically electric vehicles, with people who need to drive
them. It's super simple. And kind of our whole claim to fame is that we integrate directly with
the car's systems via the car's APIs and network connectivity. And so, what we try to do is to
basically make somebody else's car your car for a short period of time. So, unlike, you know,
sharing a car in the traditional sense, where Christian, you have to meet up with Doug and
hand him the keys and teach him how to use your car and kind of be his 24-7 support guide.
What we try to do at Ian is just make everything as seamless as possible,
as if you're driving your own car, but everywhere. And so, we load your profile
into the car. You show up. Your phone becomes the key. You unlock the car from your phone.
You kind of get in and you go. And that's it. It's super simple. And because our team
sees the vehicle and is speaking to the vehicle directly, you actually have 24-7 support anywhere
you need to drive. You don't have to worry that Christian is available to take your call,
even if you are driving Christian's car. So, that's the basics of what we do. But,
years ago, we now have about 2,000 cars across the country and we're growing every day.
And we're in love with making the world a more shared, cleaner place.
I like that. So, yeah, in the website, you got to go check this out, eonrides.com. E-O-N-R-I-D-E-S.com.
One thing when I was getting ready to do the show here is a little bit of prep. It is so easy to
navigate your site. I was blown away how easy it was to get to the proposition of what you offer.
Like you said, ease of use getting into the car. You're never on your own. You always have
resource. You can call the phone, but then you've got this app that's helpful. And so, you are
across the country. You mentioned that before. Yeah. Thanks so much. Yeah. We coast to coast
and essentially we strive to give people the accessibility so that they can pick up a car
either at the airport or from their neighbor's parking spot across the street. And the whole
idea is that the experience is always the same. One thing that you'll see if you download our app
in your book with us is that you're not renting a specific person's car. It's not Doug or Christian's
car. You're renting an eon. You just choose the car that you want. You show up, you get in, you go,
and then you've got 24-7 support, anything you need. And it's really just that simple. We just
try and simplify it because one of the things that has been great with the ability to share cars is
that, one, if you have a car, you can make some money off of it. Everyone loves that. But one of
the challenges is that not everybody knows how to rent a car out effectively. There's all these
checks that you need to do. There's pickup procedures that have to be followed. There's
support during the trip. And if you're just an individual and you're just trying to rent out your
car, you'll find that sharing your car is not just lending a hammer to a friend. It's really
you become your own tiny car rental company. And that just doesn't work. It's very challenging. So,
our mission is we simplify. We do everything digitally so that that way, if you own a car
and you're part of our network, it's as close to passive income as possible. And if you're renting
a car, my gosh, you just get in, go. It's about as simple as it gets. And everybody wins.
Fantastic. Now, you didn't say anything about the subscription. Did you? I'm seeing that on your
site right now. Can you talk about that for a minute? Oh, yeah, absolutely. So, so many people
are looking for an option and what we call the medium term. You know, maybe you are just new to
town and you need a car for a couple of months, or maybe you're trying to test one out for a few
weeks before you decide if you want to buy it. Whatever your reason, we've got these kind of
semi long-term cars options, these subscriptions, which are basically like think about it. Think
about it as a lease that you can get out of at any time, month to month or week to week.
Okay. Pay as you go. And then if you want to change your car, you can at any time,
bring the car back, we pick it up from you on the longer rentals. And it's as easy as that. You
don't have to buy a car now to enjoy the same benefits. Yeah, that's, that's, that's really
clutchier. And from one thing I see in some of your reviews here, as well as what's on your site,
from booking to driving in minutes. So talk about how quickly this could happen. Somebody,
somebody lands in, lands in a city, they pull up the app, boom. And is there kind of a proximity
telling somebody how close it is and off you go? Yeah, of course. So one of the things that
we have right now is that you can see exactly where the carpet application is on the map before
you book, et cetera, et cetera. Yeah. But the process is extremely simple. You book the car
that you want, you get, if you're a first time user, you're going to be prompted to just upload
your information, your license to a quicksay scan. Once you're verified, we go, we take you
through a tutorial. So this is something that only we do, which is we teach you about everything
that you need to know about this car before you arrive. So you don't even, you don't have to talk
to anybody, you ever go to like an Airbnb and you get like this huge list of instructions from the
owner. And then you, you know, you ignore it, you just completely say, okay, that's nice, you know,
plus in the garbage. And then, you know, the next night, you know, when it's four in the morning,
your toast is not working, you're like, yeah, crap. Yeah. So what we do is we, we actually
give you a super simple, like we walk you through it with just, it takes like one minute, you know,
you go through, got it, got it, got it, got it. We give you a short little quiz just to make sure
you understood everything you need to know. And then you just get in and we just find that it's
the easiest thing in the world. Even if you've never been to this place before, never been in
this type of car, electric cars, especially a lot of people, you know, they might not be familiar
with all the quirks of the electric cars, guide them through everything super simple. And then,
bam, your son's your key, you walk away from the car. That's it. The car locks, you're done.
So the whole point is just keep it simple. And our vision is that you can personalize your
experience anywhere you go. Christian, you can't bring your car to New York when you travel, you
can bring your eon. And that's that's kind of the point. Love it. Yeah. And there is always
elegance and simplicity. And again, go check out the website eonrides, eonrides.com. And
it's set up here. Choose your EV rental. Very straightforward. Got the app for that.
Instant confirmation, no waiting around. Arrive and go, no one wants to wait at a rental car,
at a rental car counter. And you'll have access to 24 by seven access and delivery, right? They
have guides around the clock support, crucial, crucial, skip the recharging, hassle, seamless
control of your fingertips, breeze through tolls. I mean, I just paid, I got to tell you, I,
there was a charge on my credit card this morning for SunPass. I live here in in the
Panhandle of Florida. And I got this charge. So what is this charge for? And so I had to get
through email and then kind of verify, oh, well, I spent, you know, I was in Orlando and spent $80
on tolls and I'd figure all this kind of stuff out. They're going to figure all this out for you.
Okay. So anyway, sorry, didn't mean to gush. I'm going to hand it over to Doug, who is going to,
he's going to fit right into a gas powered car that goes 88 miles an hour. We're going to scoot
right back into the past and thank you for that, Ray. Let's hand it over to Doug.
Thank you, Christian. Wonderful introduction, as always. So Ray, tell us about your first car.
How old were you? What was it? And then we'll chat about some things you did in the car,
how you acquired the car. Things you should have done in that car, number one.
Oh, man. Yeah, man, you guys have taken me back. So my first car was a 1995 Jeep Wrangler.
It was a four cylinder manual transmission, had no airbags, no top, no doors. It had drum brakes,
so they were super unresponsive. The car could only go like 50 miles an hour. So I was a nuisance
to people on the freeway. Basically, what happened is that when I was 13, I had my bar mitzvah.
And so in standard fashion, when everybody asked me what I wanted for my bar mitzvah,
I said money. So I was collecting 100 bucks here, 200 bucks there, put that into a savings
account that my dad may or may not have manipulated, I'm not sure. But lo and behold, I was 16. I had
$3,000 to spend on a car. And I was trudging along on Craigslist, and I find this beauty,
this matte black, beat up looking Jeep Wrangler with red rims. The wheels had these red rims,
and I was like, that's all right. Nice accent, nice touch. Yeah, why not? Something happened.
So I was living in Thousand Oaks at the time, which is like a suburb a little north of Los
Angeles. And the car was in Torrance, which is kind of a jump over. And of course, the Craigslist
side said cash only. So I remember my dad and I go into the bank, and he's just pulling out all my
money and $100 bills. And we drive on down to Torrance. And frankly, we meet up with this gangster,
right? He's just being a little sketchy. He's like, yeah, let's make this quick. Let's do it here
in the parking lot. So we're just like, okay, sure. Yeah, no problem. Here's the money. Let's go.
He's like, cool. He gives us the keys, the registration, the title. I felt I was exhilarated.
You know, I was like, this is great. This is how business is done. And so I get this car back.
At this point, I can't even drive it. So my dad parks his car. We drive my car back.
He's got to come back to get his car. Okay. Yeah. And so it's spent the next couple of
weeks learning how to drive stick on this car. And I fell in love with it. It was one of my
favorite things ever. To this day, I miss that car. Yeah. There's something about a jeep.
There's something about a Volkswagen. I've owned several Jeeps, CJ7, a couple Wranglers,
I think as well. And yeah, I guess living in LA, you don't need a top. You don't need doors.
It doesn't mean... I mean, you're... What did you own when I first met you? What was that yellow
hulking thing? Oh, was that... What was that? That was the CJ7. That thing was old. That rust bucket.
Yeah. The doors were duct tape. They were just like great, great tape together. Doors. Beautiful
thing. They were vinyl doors back then. No, they weren't duct tape, but go ahead. They were vinyl
with duct tape. Get it right. Great trim. Yeah, it was the sporty gray trim edition. Sorry,
go ahead. Didn't mean to interrupt. No, it was the rusty, rusty trim. But no, that was a cool jeep.
And I sold it to my roommate when I moved to New Jersey for work. I told him he might want to do
something with the transmission. He never did. I think he put a new engine in it. He drove it
all the way to New Mexico and the transmission went up. Gee, that wasn't Adam, was it? No, no. This
was Chris with Phil House. Gotcha, you got it. Okay. And he ended up selling it for $1,200.
But he had a good time. He made it all the way to New Mexico. Pretty good for early 80s jeep.
And yeah, it was just, it was fun. But it had its quirks and features.
If you will, like all jeeps. It's, as they say, it's a jeep thing, right? Yes, yes. And yeah,
so let me squeeze in here real quick before it races in his, in some of the documentation that
he sent us before the show. He says it was such an authentic and beautiful piece of junk. No airbags,
no doors, manual transmission that couldn't go beyond 50 miles per hour. Well-worn, well-loved.
I mean, that's, that's what you got to have for a first car, right? Right? Oh, it was perfect.
Super dangerous. Definitely don't do that for a 16-year-old. Right, right. But it makes you
appreciate everything after, man. I, you know, if you can't give a kid top of the line, you just
got to bring him through the stack, I feel, you know? Yeah. And honestly, I don't get the high
from any car that I've driven since, but that car gives me that high of just, you know, just feeling
like you're just connected to the mechanics of the car, you know? Yeah, yes. Yep. It's a, it's a
big change. Even the new Jeeps are not like that. They don't feel at all like that. That old Wrangler,
you know, when you, when you put in the shift and it grinds, you know, and you're like, ah,
I got to do this better. That's a good feeling, you know? You feel like you're, you're learning.
Yeah, you're working, you're working it, right? You're working, making it work for you, slash
vice versa. And it's, it's funny you mentioned Bar Mitzvah money. I actually took my Bar Mitzvah
money and I used it to help me buy my first convertible, which was a Miata. Wow, that's
awesome. Yeah, yeah. So I guess there's a trend, Bar Mitzvah money for cars. A lesson to all the
Jewish boys. You know, my brother was silly. He spent, he spent it on a, on an Alienware computer.
And then, and then lo and behold, you know, when I went off to college, suddenly gets,
gets, who gets to drive, my cars were free, right? That's what I was going to say. The jeep
got passed down to your brother. Love the hand me downs. Love the hand me downs. I got
ready t-shirts. He got a jeep. Lucky guy. What ultimately happened to the jeep after your,
your brother was using it? Well, when he went to college, he, we sold it, you know? Okay. There
was no one left to drive it. But we sold it for more money than we bought it for. Yeah. Jeeps hold
their value. It's amazing. They all do. People, people love them. And people also get tired of
them and sell them and usually break even or make money. So it was a good investment here.
Honestly. Yeah, go ahead, Brett. Absolutely. No, no, no, it was great. And, you know, driving
that thing at the time was like, it was the kind of thing where you could have like 10 of your friends
pile up and, you know, you ran out of rooms, so they would just stand and hold the bars,
you know, that kind of thing. Just like St. Elmo's Fire. That's a scene right out of St.
Elmo's Fire. Perfect. That's what it felt like. We felt so cool. We'd play Indiana Jones from
the speakers as we'd ride around, you know? For Halloween, we did a Jurassic Park remake with it,
you know? One guy dressed as a T-Rex and chased us in the car. It was great.
Too good. All these memories. I hope a lot of kids saw that.
Oh, yeah. We went to the, to the cul-de-sac where all the families were, they loved it.
Yeah, that's awesome. So you sold the Jeep, or passed it down, the Jeep got sold, but what was
your second car? That was, well, my second car, technically. Technically, I haven't really bought
a car personally ever since. Because what happened was that while I was in college, right, my, this
model S. And at the time, this was like the coolest thing you'd have seen. This was like a
quantum leap forward with cars, especially going from a manual transmission to a car that was just,
you know, it was high end. And so, you know, he was driving that for a bit. And every time I go
home to spend time with my family, it was like, this was the coolest thing ever. Then around 2018,
my dad moved to, you know, another part of the country for work. He moved to Chicago
for a bit and he didn't need the car. And so his plan was to sell it, you know, to give it up.
And I was, even though it wasn't my car, I just thought it was so freaking cool. I was like,
listen, let's make a deal, right? You, instead of you getting rid of this awesome piece of tech,
give it to me and I'll figure out a way to pay you on the financing, you know.
By the way, college student, no income, had no plan to have income. I was just like, let's just do
it, right? And my dad was like, okay, he'll learn the hard way, I guess, you know, that was his
thinking on it. And as soon as I got that, first of all, the first two weeks were so fun because
I was the kid in college with this brand new Tesla when Tesla was nothing yet, you know.
And then immediately it just became obvious that this was a terrible mistake, you know. How am I
going to pay, you know, what's really the equivalent of rent for me in college with no plan. So
immediately I just started finding ways to monetize this thing. And I was, you know, at first I tried
to like Uber for a little bit, that didn't work. And then I, then I started renting the car out.
And that really didn't work. That was a terrible idea. I found out the hard way that, you know,
trying to rent out a car when you've got no experiences or resources is like, you might as
well, you know, slam your head into a wall for all the good it's going to do you. In fact,
you're probably going to lose less money on slamming your head into the wall.
But anyway, I still, I kept with it. I tried, you know, for a good year, you know, I did everything
I could. And I just found that renting a car is horrible. It's, you know, I was dealing with
just, I was skipping classes to hand off the keys to people, you know, I was being woken up
in the middle of the night all hours, answering my customers and trying to teach them how to use
the car. One time I had a date that I had been so excited for like months. And I get a call that
the guy's like stuck in, in New Hampshire, it's negative degrees outside, you know, he needs help
but it's like the whole thing goes that way. I mean, the car came back, smoked in, dented,
you know, somebody robbed a bank in my car. Yeah, someone robbed a bank in my car, you know.
Just a good getaway car. Except the fact you could track it on the app. Yeah.
Well, thank robbers, thank robbers don't think of these things. Well, you go where the money is,
right? Yeah, that's where the banks used to have money in there.
So anyway, I mean, that whole thing happened. And then I just realized, you know, this is,
this is tough. This, there's got to be a better way of doing it. And that's where this,
the idea of Eon came about. And then basically from my last year in college up until now,
I've been building the system to share out these electric cars. And, and that's where we are today.
Same, that whole path, you know, from, from my dad trying to get rid of his car.
Retail. Yep. When there's a will, there's a way and, you know, it's a family thing. And
real quick, your dad is involved in a car business as well, right? He's an entrepreneur.
Yeah, honestly, I think the only way that he trusted me enough to like make him that crazy
Oscar to give me his, his, you know, pretty new Tesla at the time was back in 2014, before I even
went off to school, I was still in high school. My dad had this idea of he loves camping. So he
took this, these, these minivans and basically built these conversion kits, which he could put
into the minivans and turn them into campers, right? So it would still be a minivan, not like a
big RV, but like just a minivan that you could park anywhere, drive it around normally. But the
whole back turns into a bed. He's got, you know, like a camping shower, a full table set, cooking
stuff, everything comes packed in. And so at the time it was kind of a hobby, we built this out.
And then my dad kind of went with that as well. And now he rents these out all over the country.
So it kind of goes in the family DNA at this point, you know, just sharing, sharing cars and
being a part of the, part of the ecosystem. Yeah. Well, I'm sure your dad's proud of you.
Thank you. I'm proud of him. Yeah. I love that. Hopefully we can have your dad on the show and
we'll have him talk about you. Oh yeah, absolutely. He's awesome. Oh, well, maybe not. He'll tell all
the bad stories. Okay. Well, for that listeners, we're, we're, we'll take your sons, we'll take
daughters, we'll take your grandparents. We, we want family stories. It's all about family.
Doug likes to say this show is, is all about family. It is. We've had a father and son tandem
them on and just really wonderful. And it's another daughter. Yeah. Yeah. Couple. And more,
more, more in the queue. So all the stories that tumble out and all the smiles on the faces,
smiles for Gal and we like to call it. Yeah. So Ray, I know your current car is not exactly a car
owning a car in New York City. Not easy, but of course you have access to thousands,
several thousand. What is your current vehicle of choice that you use to get around?
Yeah. So I kind of found the best New York hat, which is I have a really, you know,
just a ridiculously overpowered e-bike. Most people see it. They think it's a motorcycle.
It's a Segway Zyber just came out, you know, Segway, the scooter company that built this e-bike.
And this thing has just been, for New York City, it's the best. You get everywhere about twice as
fast as, you know, the subway or on a bicycle. So for the day to day, like in the city,
this is great. It's really tough having a car in Manhattan. So this is like the next best
alternative. Nice. Nice. And then anytime I need to get out of the city, you can use the bike lanes.
That's the key point. And then, you know, anytime you need to get out of the city,
we've got the EOD app. So we just pop into one of those, go to the Hamptons, go upstate,
wherever you want to go. Awesome. Well, you pick the right place to live and do your
do your testing there, market testing, if you will.
Speaking of, okay, perfect Segway, not only the one that he rides, but the kind we use here in
media. Let's talk about some reviews from the side before we rant this thing down. Come on,
you have to give this company a try. Don't go to those main players, stand at the desk,
then you go to the parking garage, you stand there another 45 minutes, maybe get the car,
maybe listen to these reviews. Had an amazing rental experience, communication was on point,
car was a blast to drive, would recommend. Here's another one from Terry W.
Just grabbed the car from where the spots near me. It's a million times better than keeping
a car at the house, you bet. Here's another. I picked up this car for the family road trip
using it on, it was a highlight of the vacation. And last one from Stevie R. Every time is easy
and smooth, including if you want to extend the time. That's crucial. Last time I had to do
at that rental company, say goodbye to 45 minutes and a lot of frustration. Stevie continues,
highly recommend if you want to experience an EV in New York. Well, partner, I tell you what,
I think we're about coming up on time. So as we guide the podcast gently to the off ramp,
I got one for you on the way out here, Ray. Now your mom doesn't work for you and she doesn't
have an electric car, but she might have one of the coolest rides around. You didn't oversell it.
Let's hear a bit about that. Oh yeah, no problem. Well, some might say I worked for my mom, you
know, that's how it is with Jewish boys at the end of the day. But no, I'll joke aside for my
mom's 50th birthday, basically a whole family got together and surprised and her favorite car,
her whole life has been a Land Rover Defender. What we did is over a two year process, this had to
be built from the ground up for over over some time. We had this custom built Land Rover Defender
restored from the 80s to be completely redone. Oh, Bill has the same aesthetic and the same
authenticity back then, but renewed and renovated for the current age, you know, all the all the
bells and whistles, but still the real deal. So it's a white with the cream interior,
we call it Sasha. And it's just been the family kind of a, it's like a family point of pride.
We love this thing. And I think everybody's got that one device or that one thing that they just
value as part of their family, you know, for some people, it's a it's a it's like an heirloom for
other people. It's, you know, for us, it's a great word. Yeah, yeah, it's a great word heirloom.
Like, like you were saying before, these things get passed down through the family, you know?
Yeah. Yeah. And it's just like aesthetically, it's like her whole vision of what she loves.
And, and so that was her gift for her 50th and, you know, I would say that's, that's maybe the
coolest car I've ever seen in my life. And I'm so happy I can try it right in it.
That's beautiful. That's beautiful in the retail. Yeah, the thing about Land Rovers, man,
especially that vintage, they look like they can take on the world. I mean, like they could just
punch a hole in a wall. And yet, you know, very refined once you get inside and for their time,
you know, luxury, absolute. So Ray, let me ask you this one. I said that was a last question,
but let me ask you one more surprise question. What do you like most about your job? Because
there's been a smile on your face the whole time you've been talking about your company.
What do you like most about it? You know, my favorite thing is, is being able to look,
I went to schools for biomedical engineering. I never thought, I really never thought I'd,
I never thought I'd get into entrepreneurship. I never thought that I'd get into
cars specifically as much as like, you know, we've loved it, I love cars growing up.
I just didn't expect that to be the way that my life would play out. And the thing that makes
me so happy is just being able to have a vision in the world, know that like we're going after it,
and that we are actually able to make other people's lives better. You know, and, and it's not
just like a, I know it's like kind of a quiche, like nice thing to say that maybe every founder says,
but just the ability of seeing that my teammates love what they do and love that we're building
something that's really cool. And the small fleet owners that, you know, have a small fleet of cars
and that we're able to make them successful. It's like, it's the best feeling in the world.
Well, yeah. And it says a lot about you, that you've opened your beautiful home,
that home office there that people come in. So you're obviously all about family togetherness
and seeing it through together. So we want to thank you for spending some of your time with us
here today. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you. We appreciate it. You guys rock. Thank you.
I had so much fun. We had a blast. Thank you. You're welcome here anytime. So you had just heard,
oh, he was Ray. And let's see, check him out at eonrise.com. E-O-N-R-I-D-E-E-S.com.
Trust me, it's a new way of doing it. It's a better mousetrap. You got to check it out. E-O-N-R-I-D-E-S.com.
That was Ray. And you have just heard the high revving, low mileage, late model heard
around the world, authoritative podcast on automotive nostalgia. He's Doug. Reach him
at Doug at CarsLove.com. I'm Christian. Reach me at Christian at CarsLove.com. He was Ray,
obviously. So please follow and tell a friend if you'd like what you heard. It helps us grow.
Try out CarsLove.com or our link tree at L-I-N-K-T-R dot E-E slash Cars Loved.
He always hits his mark no matter how unready I try and make him. I am sure we will see you at
the next local car show, showroom, racetrack, concor. We appreciate your listening. We'll see you next time.
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