Leo's Teslapreneurship: Earning $1500+ Monthly Renting His Teslas on Turo

Leo Nguyen turo side hustle sidestarters.co

Leo Nguyen • Published November 10th, 2023

ABOUT

Leo Nguyen

Turo – Car Sharing

From San Jose, CA

Side Hustle Started January 2017

Full-Time Job

Works as a Battery Lab Manager

Supernal, LLC

Started October 2021

SIDE-HUSTLE STATS

1-2

Hours Worked Per Week

$1000-$2500

Revenue Per Month

1

Founders

0

Employees

$0

Startup Cost

7

Days Before Profit

FaceBook Groups

Main Growth Strategy

50%

Net Profit Margin

Table Of Contents

Working As An A Battery Lab Manager + Car Sharing on Turo
Hi, my name is Leo Nguyen, and I am a hustler with multiple side hustles at the same time, along with my full-time job as a battery lab manager at Supernal (a subdivision of Kia/Hyundai focusing on air mobility).
 
I used to work for 5 years at Tesla as a battery lab manager, developing the batteries for the Model 3 back in 2017. That led me to start my side hustle with Turo in 2017 to rent my Model 3 as a fun hobby to introduce EVs to many people. That was a hit because I could charge up to $350-$400/day back then due to no test drive and limited Model 3 availability; only employees had them. Since then, my Model 3 has made back around $25k. I then added the Model X at the end of 2022 due to my newborn, and since then, my Model X has been generating for me $18k for this year alone. Most of my customers were out of the states, out of the country, wanted to try Tesla for the first time, or were current Tesla owners.
Turo side hustle 2023, Leo Nguyen sidestarters.co
Coming Up With The Idea

What made you decide to start renting out your Tesla on Turo?

Just for fun since I had extra car, but it was a hit since that was the only one of a few Model 3s on Turo back then. The success came instantly due to how hot the Model 3 was, then it died down and back again with my new X.
First Steps To Starting

How did you get started renting your car to on the Turo app?

Taking good pictures and good customer service, giving discounts, and not minding small details. Be nice to customers, even when they are wrong, to get high ratings. High ratings are everything, and people will trust you more.
Turo side hustle 2023, Leo Nguyen sidestarters.co
Growing Your Side-Hustle

What did you do to increase your rental rate on Turo?

Facebook groups and getting high ratings will attract more customers along with good reviews. And offer many discounts and perks.
Revenue + Earnings

On average, how much do you earn from your side-hustle each month?

I grew 2-3x at the beginning with my first car, and then it died down and is now back up again. It took 1 week for my side hustle to become profitable.
Startup Costs

How much did it cost to get started car rentals on Turo?

I guess Zero as I bought the car for myself. Tools: Turo app.
Side-Hustle Lessons & Advice

What tips do you have for people who want to rent out their vehicles on Turo?

Good pictures are everything, as are high ratings and good reviews.
About Your Full-Time Job

What's your full-time job?

Battery Lab Manager I manage a battery R&D lab to develop and test batteries for eVTOL. I started at the engineering tech level and moved up slowly at Tesla. Skills in battery testing, safety, operation, and supply chain management.
Career Lessons & Advice

Would you recommend being a Battery Lab Manager as a career?

Yes, it requires more patience and management to climb to the manager level and then its easier to manage from there.
Advice For Getting A Job As A Battery Lab Manager

Any advice to offer people who want to get a job as a Battery Lab Manager?

Intern as early as possible, get into working in battery from being a technician and move up slowly.
Where Can People Find You?

Where can we find you?