Automotive

Hertz aims to have largest EV rental fleet in North America by end of 2022

Tesla Model 3s available for hire could soon be a common sight outside of Hertz airport and neighborhood locations in the US and Europe
Hertz
Tesla Model 3s available for hire could soon be a common sight outside of Hertz airport and neighborhood locations in the US and Europe
Hertz

For many business travelers, the first item on the agenda after clearing passport control is to secure a rental car. Hertz is looking to give such folk easier access to electric vehicle hire, confirming an initial order of 100,000 Tesla Model 3s.

"Electric vehicles are now mainstream, and we've only just begun to see rising global demand and interest," said Mark Fields, interim CEO at Hertz. "The new Hertz is going to lead the way as a mobility company, starting with the largest EV rental fleet in North America and a commitment to grow our EV fleet and provide the best rental and recharging experience for leisure and business customers around the world."

Hertz actually began adding electrified options to its rentals back in 2011, but this latest investment in the EV future will see more than 20 percent of its global fleet being made up of electric vehicles.

Starting next month, brand new Tesla Model 3s will start rolling into the company's airport and neighborhood locations in the US, as well as some cities in Europe. By the end of 2022, the number will have reached 100,000 – and there could soon be more on the way, as that's just an initial order.

To support the charging needs of these extra electric vehicles, the company has also committed to installing "thousands of chargers throughout its location network," with renters able to access Level 2 and DC fast-charging in around 65 markets by the close of 2022, going up to 100 markets by the end of the following year. And drivers will of course be able to use the 3,000 Tesla supercharging stations in the US and Europe too.

Source: Hertz

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5 comments
guzmanchinky
I love EV's. I love Tesla. But this last weekend, when we drove from Palm Springs to Los Angeles and every single Supercharger station was taken really convinced me it is too early.
Daishi
@guzmanchinky As unpopular as it may be I think finding ways to monetize charging is the only real way to fund building out enough charging infrastructure for mass EV adoption. That can be anything from paying directly for use, a convince store model like gas stations or more time consuming shopping or dining, to something more cheesy like the Sonic model of being able to order food to the car or maybe opting to have the car detailed and washed while you wait for it to charge. If companies find a way to capitalize on making charging revenue generating for them the problem of lack of charging infrastructure will go away.
Kevin Ritchey
What about charging when you are at home with a rental? Are they going to offer portable chargers?
ljaques
So, what's Hertz going to charge for a day's rent on an EV? Kudos to Hertz, and I bet they do well with it. People renting EVs likely won't be wanting them for cross-country driving. I was blown away looking at car rental prices recently. I was looking at $1,763 for 2 weeks rental on a COMPACT car locally (OR), and just $700ish if I flew to Utah and rented it there. In 1995, a flight from Sandy Eggo to Oakland cost $39.95 round trip on Southwest's 737 cattle cars, and a rental compact was $15 a day. I miss those days.
Guz, I'm betting that 70% of all potential EV drivers would charge at home, likely just once a week. And I'd bet that over half of those would opt for the 240v charger ($600ish) The drive from PS to HelL.A. is only 109 miles, so why didn't you charge up the (day and?) night before and have enough charge for the entire round trip? I tend to get up at 4am and start my drive, and I'd bet that most chargers are open at that hour, if I'd forgotten it. But, yeah, chargers are a real issue for those putting tons of miles weekly on their EVs. But don't forget the 7 P's: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. Anyway, all EVs come with a free/included 120v slow charger. A portable 240v charger might be a good addition for Hertz to consider, at a premium, insured. Yank your dryer cord and go for it.
Markjon
I have a Bolt and I love it. If I rent a Tesla, you better be sure I'm not charging it before I return it unless I need to. Most rental cars are used for short times and few miles. Charging them should be the responsibility of Hertz, or nobody is going to rent them. Dashing from my hotel to the airport doesn't leave time to plug it in so Hertz should charge a reasonable amount for charging or just roll it into the rental price.