Tourist mover

They’re bright, slow and kind of funny looking.

Dennis deVaux’s fleet of open-air electric vehicles, the aptly named Funny Cars, have recently begun to weave their way through Chattanooga’s city streets. When deVaux opened the business on River Street at Coolidge Park a couple weeks ago, he wasn’t sure what the response would be, but so far he’s impressed with the city’s interest.

“I would like to see it become a place where people come, knowing that they can grab a car and go ride around the city,” deVaux said. “I’d like it to be known, like the Chattanooga Ducks are known, so when you go to Chattanooga you’ve got to do these things: you’ve gotta ride the Ducks, you’ve gotta go to the aquarium and you’ve gotta get a Funny Car to ride around and see all this.”

For now, the cars — which can be driven only by licensed drivers 18 and older on streets 35 mph or less — can be rented by the hour any day of the week. In winter, rentals will only be available “on pretty days,” deVaux said. To keep out most of the cold, cars will be outfitted with clear vinyl “curtains.”

About a year ago, deVaux started a similar business in Chickamauga, Ga., renting themed golf carts. Since golf carts aren’t street legal in the city, he opted for the Funny Cars, which he said are popular in several tourist cities in Florida.

He said the cars’ main draw is that they let users quickly and easily see the city’s sights.

“I know that Chattanooga is huge in tourism, and that’s why I brought this to it, because tourism is what’s going to drive this business,” deVaux said.

Bob Doak, president and chief executive of the Chattanooga Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, said he hasn’t known of any other type of electric car rental business in the area in the past.

The cars, he said, will “add to the entertainment of what we have to offer in Chattanooga.”

“I think also what it does is it gives people easy access to the many things that there are to do within Chattanooga,” Doak said. “It’s quick and easy, and adds a little vitality.”

DeVaux said he also hopes to attract locals to keep business up during the off season.

Brad Biel, who has lived in Chattanooga for four years, dropped by Funny Cars on a recent afternoon after lunch with a friend, looking for an interesting outing he could plan with her. After getting more information, he said he was sure he’d be back to try one out.

“It’s going to be a blast,” Biel said. “It’s not often you get to go out on something like this to see the city.”