In October 2021, Hertz made headlines when it announced plans to add 100,000 Teslas to its fleet. This was a huge bet on electric vehicles, and the plan was for more than 20% of Hertz’s global rental car fleet to consist of electric vehicles. Well, just over two years later, it looks like Hertz has had a change of heart, and is backtracking.
In this post:
Hertz selling one-third of its Tesla fleet
Hertz has revealed plans to sell one-third of its electric vehicle fleet in the United States, and instead invest in gas-powered cars. The company has already started the process of selling tens of thousands of electric vehicles, and that will continue throughout 2024. The company is facing net depreciation expenses of around $245 million related to this decision.
So, why is Hertz backtracking on its Tesla plans? It seems to come down to a few factors — weak demand, high repair costs, and low resale values.
When it comes to demand, Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr has said that interest in electric vehicles is “not at the level” the company anticipated, and that “we may have been ahead of ourselves.” The issue isn’t just demand, though, but also costs and resale value.
Hertz is finding that Teslas are being damaged more than anticipated, and the cost of those repairs is higher than on other cars. On top of that, electric vehicle resale prices have plummeted, and that’s also a big part of the economics of the rental car industry. That’s because of Tesla’s price cuts to keep demand high.
Interestingly, part of Hertz’s plan with Teslas was to lease the cars to rideshare drivers, and that has in fact happened, but hasn’t turned out to be as profitable as expected, due to the same issues as above (the cost of repairs and lower car resale values).
I’m not surprised this hasn’t been a success
The rental car industry is a tough business (especially when you’re constantly getting your customers arrested!). As much as I think the move to electric vehicles in general is great, I’m not surprised to see that this hasn’t worked out.
As Hertz’s CEO explained, when a big part of the rental car business model is being able to resell cars at a reasonable price, that doesn’t exactly work with Tesla’s constant price cuts, since the resale value of these cars just isn’t good.
But I also think there’s a failure on Hertz’s part here. I’d absolutely choose a Tesla over your run of the mill rental car (and I’m far from a Tesla fanboy), yet every single time I’ve looked at the possibility of renting a Tesla from Hertz, it was either outrageously priced, or wasn’t available. No, I’m not going to pay 5x as much for a Tesla as a standard car (especially when their MSRPs aren’t that far off). And never mind that most of the times I’ve looked, they weren’t even available.
That doesn’t even address the general learning curve of people getting into Teslas for the first time, and not necessarily knowing how to drive them (which I’m sure also ties into the issue of these cars frequently sustaining expensive damage).
Bottom line
Hertz is backtracking on its big promise to go electric. In late 2021, the rental car giant planned to add 100,000 Teslas to its fleet, thinking that was the way of the future. That hasn’t worked out as hoped, though, and Tesla is now selling off one-third of its fleet.
The company blames this both on lack of demand from consumers, as well as expensive repairs and low resale costs. While those are very real problems, I also think that Hertz didn’t do a great job both with making Teslas available, and also with pricing them reasonably.
Are you surprised that Hertz hasn’t been able to make Teslas work?
My aunt who drives cars for a living ,got stuck in a mustang ev between louisanna and Arkansas,lack of charging stations some not working some part charge ,wouldnt charge complete ,then had to be towed by flat bed hours later ,flat bed truck was not EV
Sound quite untrue to me
As an owner of two evs the hertz maths just does not add up
I just wrapped up a two-week EV rental (Polestar 2) with Hertz in Australia, putting about 2,000kms on it and travelling around Sydney and then up to Brisbane. I had all sorts of concerns about charging, etc. but in the end, it was pretty painless. The Polestar was the 2nd cheapest option on Hertz's site, it works like most other cars (except you don't have to turn it off or on), and the navigation did...
I just wrapped up a two-week EV rental (Polestar 2) with Hertz in Australia, putting about 2,000kms on it and travelling around Sydney and then up to Brisbane. I had all sorts of concerns about charging, etc. but in the end, it was pretty painless. The Polestar was the 2nd cheapest option on Hertz's site, it works like most other cars (except you don't have to turn it off or on), and the navigation did the necessary work of finding chargers for you. Plus, the actual driving experience was worlds better than the alternative gas vehicle, *and* I saved hundreds in gas. I never waited in a queue, nor had to move on because one wasn't functional. Hertz Australia requires you return it with at least 15%, which makes things very low stress.
The worst parts?
- To do it properly, you'll end up with about 4-5 apps on your phone for various chargers, which is awkward and annoying (and also the plight of every EV owner)
- Hertz's site and app is beyond atrocious - I rent regularly from Avis, Europcar, Enterprise, etc., and Hertz's entire UX is just the worst
To me it sounds like using Teslas was one issue, expecting to get more for them just because they are Teslas was another, and setting unreasonable restrictions (chill mode, return at 80%) as the nail in the coffin. What a waste, because EVs are really great to drive.
I own a Tesla and rented a Tesla from Hertz 5 times last year. I've had issues with 3 out of the 5 rentals. The first time I rented a Tesla, the car was in valet mode (which means I couldn't go over 70 mph) and had to call to get the car reset remotely. When Hertz first rolled out Teslas rentals, they told everyone that the cars would be reset after every rental which...
I own a Tesla and rented a Tesla from Hertz 5 times last year. I've had issues with 3 out of the 5 rentals. The first time I rented a Tesla, the car was in valet mode (which means I couldn't go over 70 mph) and had to call to get the car reset remotely. When Hertz first rolled out Teslas rentals, they told everyone that the cars would be reset after every rental which is rarely the case (you wouldn't believe how many people have left their Youtube, Spotify, etc account logged in on the car). The other 2 times I rented, the interior panels/moldings were damaged. Customers were not treating these cars well.
The other thing I couldn't figure out is why people are saying that they take so long to charge. Hertz isn't explaining to customers that you don't charge the car to 100% all the time which is why the charging is taking longer and more expensive. For road trips, use the trip planner to set the charge level. For local driving, charge the car to 70-80%. Going from 20% charge to 80% takes 15-20 minutes on a supercharger, charging from 80% to 100% takes a while.
Elected to take a free Tesla upgrade at the Hertz counter in Toronto last February and will never do that again. I didn’t know how to start it, turn it off, or even lock the doors and was left wondering if somebody could just get in and drive it away from the hotel parking lot. Having never driven a Tesla before, I didn’t even know the basics, so had to google them. In addition, I...
Elected to take a free Tesla upgrade at the Hertz counter in Toronto last February and will never do that again. I didn’t know how to start it, turn it off, or even lock the doors and was left wondering if somebody could just get in and drive it away from the hotel parking lot. Having never driven a Tesla before, I didn’t even know the basics, so had to google them. In addition, I had range anxiety the next day as the charge level dwindled rapidly in the cold Toronto winter and was lucky to make it back to the airport with just a few miles to spare. Only a few hours of driving available with a full charge. I like the EV concept, but there is plenty of room for much needed improvement in this area before I’ll ever buy one for personal use…
Well clearly you did not do your homework
Rented a Tesla for a week from Hertz in Toronto just before Christmas at a decent price. Biggest downside is charging. I was visiting family and they did not have a charger. So the day before I depart, I'm scrambling to find a supercharger somewhere. You would think in a city the size of Toronto they would be plentiful, but they were not. Still takes almost an hour to charge from 7% to 95%. Absolutely...
Rented a Tesla for a week from Hertz in Toronto just before Christmas at a decent price. Biggest downside is charging. I was visiting family and they did not have a charger. So the day before I depart, I'm scrambling to find a supercharger somewhere. You would think in a city the size of Toronto they would be plentiful, but they were not. Still takes almost an hour to charge from 7% to 95%. Absolutely not worth it. Until the technology is there to charge a car as fast as gas it, EV rentals are DOA. What's not mentioned in the Hertz announcement is customer feedback on these rentals. I have to imagine it is similar to mine.
Again, as other have stated, you shouldn't be charging them to 95% - you should ideally be getting them to 70-80% (which takes a much shorter period of time, since charging above 80% slows down drastically to protect the battery). Then you continue to the next supercharger, charge to 80%, etc. That way you minimise your time charging.
That said, how the heck is anyone supposed to know this without a some information from the staff or internet research?!
Every Hertz EV I’ve looked into has a smaller battery pack. I’m not willing to gamble or charge more frequently when traveling 350+ miles. NOT worth it, especially at those daily rental rates.
Seems like the big issue here is Tesla, not the feasibility of EVs as a rental car. Like all Tesla owners who bought their cars before Musk slashed prices on new models, Hertz got screwed. When they buy vehicles they plan on them depreciating a certain amount before they plan on selling them off and they weren’t anticipating the depreciation calculation to change so radically overnight.
Combine that with the fact that Tesla wasn’t...
Seems like the big issue here is Tesla, not the feasibility of EVs as a rental car. Like all Tesla owners who bought their cars before Musk slashed prices on new models, Hertz got screwed. When they buy vehicles they plan on them depreciating a certain amount before they plan on selling them off and they weren’t anticipating the depreciation calculation to change so radically overnight.
Combine that with the fact that Tesla wasn’t willing to give Hertz a volume discount on replacement parts (like all other car manufacturers do with major rental car companies) and having a large Tesla fleet no longer made financial sense. Yet another great example of Musk’s so-called business “genius.”
I've rented EVs from hertz intentionally a couple times and been upgraded to one another time. Hertz makes it frustrating. he first time there was no charging cable, forcing me to use superchargers even though I was visiting a friend who had a 220v outlet. The next time they didn't have the tesla I reserved and gave me another brand, sending me on a hunt for level three chargers. On the third occasion I ran...
I've rented EVs from hertz intentionally a couple times and been upgraded to one another time. Hertz makes it frustrating. he first time there was no charging cable, forcing me to use superchargers even though I was visiting a friend who had a 220v outlet. The next time they didn't have the tesla I reserved and gave me another brand, sending me on a hunt for level three chargers. On the third occasion I ran into their biggest problem... battery fatigue. The car had 42k miles on it, all from fast charging and the range s*cked. (For comparison, my tesla has 44K miles on it and has lost very few miles of range, but I rarely fast charge it). We were on a road trip, driving around the bay area, sonoma and sacramento and had to charge much more frequently than we should have.
To be clear, all the EVs I've rented have been better than most gas cars I've rented. However, it has been less than optimal. As an experienced EV driver I find it all manageable, but I'd never driven an EV it would be daunting. And, yes, I've had to pay more - except when I've been upgraded to an EV - but not in the range that Ben has experienced.
So, yeah, Hertz and the world aren't quite ready for EV rentals... which is unfortunate. They're going to need to either find a better charging solution so they don't trash their batteries. Or they need to wait a while before ramping up the fleet.
Love to see this. You'd think these corp. exec's would be smart enough to see through the hysteria and hype of climate change but apparently not. Whether by conviction or by being woke they made a decision that cost the company millions. Happy to see the marketplace has prevailed here. More corps should take notice.
Steve, Climate change is real. EVs are part of the solution. The market is not always right. Infrastructure is not always ready. People aren't always ready. But the climate is and will continue to change in scary ways.
Evs are the solution of climate change,
I've found that Teslas at non-airport stations are generally reasonably priced if they have them. I rented a Model Y in San Francisco for about $35 a day from a neighborhood station but it would have been nearly $100 at SFO.
A few things
1) I have rented EVs from Hertz (Teslas and Chevy Bolts). After the learning curve, I found they drove well. Pricing seemed in-line with ICE cars Hertz offered. But the issue is that you have to find a charger, which may or may not be ubiquitous where you are driving. When chargers are widespread at hotels ad such, it will be easier to rent.
2) In terms of EV vs gas generally,...
A few things
1) I have rented EVs from Hertz (Teslas and Chevy Bolts). After the learning curve, I found they drove well. Pricing seemed in-line with ICE cars Hertz offered. But the issue is that you have to find a charger, which may or may not be ubiquitous where you are driving. When chargers are widespread at hotels ad such, it will be easier to rent.
2) In terms of EV vs gas generally, I intended to buy an EV with my first car purchase, but ended up with a recent model gas vehicle. Being limited to ~250 real world miles, plus uncertianty with home charging, made the decision for me. Also - fuel efficiencies have picked up, and I find myself filling up my tank far less than I thought - I spend about $60 a month on gas on my car, so cost savings by going to EV aren't that significant for me. I spend more on gas when doing longer road trips (3-6 hours), but the alternative (like flying) costs more. I do plan to own an EV eventually, but I will also keep considering gas cars well into the future.
If you're spending $60 per month on gas, I can't imagine you are possibly doing any distance that would challenge an EV.
I'm also curious what uncertainties you had about home charging - it's pretty simple and means you leave with a 'full tank' everytime.
I own a Tesla Model 3 and have driven it since 2018. I love it and cannot imagine ever going back to a gas car long term. My husband drives a gas Mercedes E300 (which was about 30K more expensive) and I vastly prefer my car. My husband is envious every time I get an over-the-air software update.
Finding charging is not hard as you just tap the map and it shows you the nearby...
I own a Tesla Model 3 and have driven it since 2018. I love it and cannot imagine ever going back to a gas car long term. My husband drives a gas Mercedes E300 (which was about 30K more expensive) and I vastly prefer my car. My husband is envious every time I get an over-the-air software update.
Finding charging is not hard as you just tap the map and it shows you the nearby charging stations. You can then tap on a station and it will navigate you to there. And if you are spending an hour or more charging at a Supercharger...was the battery close to empty? I try not to wait until I am absolutely desperate to recharge (or refuel, when I had a gas car).
This being said...I agree with Ben's point that there is a bit of a learning curve. I can imagine someone who had never driven a Tesla might not know that tip about how to find the Tesla chargers. And it's not obvious how to--for example--turn the windshield wipers to a higher speed, or turn on the heat/ac, or connect your bluetooth, etc. Once you know how to use all the features, it is an incredible car and an amazing driving experience. The acceleration is so fast!
I'm surprised about the higher cost of repair. Mine has been much lower than it was with a gas car, and much lower than my husband's current gas car or my daughter's hybrid car.
I rent from Hertz about 6-10x a year. Last year I got Teslas or Polestars about half the time especially when I knew my mileage would be well within range. Pricing was extremely reasonable (check out the Amex Platinum code. You don’t have to pay with that card or even have the card to use it in my experience). The charging has mostly been a non issue because super chargers are widely available as well...
I rent from Hertz about 6-10x a year. Last year I got Teslas or Polestars about half the time especially when I knew my mileage would be well within range. Pricing was extremely reasonable (check out the Amex Platinum code. You don’t have to pay with that card or even have the card to use it in my experience). The charging has mostly been a non issue because super chargers are widely available as well as hotel charging stations but I always check prior to renting. For many trips I didn’t need a charge and the charging fee if you return less than (I think 70% now?) is nominal compared to buying gas.
FWIW SFO, EWR, PHX, MSP and CVG are all locations where I saw plentiful Teslas at very competitive prices with Amex plat code. Polestars also in abundance and drive great.
I think Hertz dropped the ball by not doing a better job of educating customers on how to use Teslas their first rental. It’s hardly intuitive.
Anyway I don’t know why it’s so polarizing. Every trip is different and they have plenty of gas powered options. Rent what you need.
I’d rather we discuss Hertz’ dismal customer service, annoying hold music and ancient website that is a challenge to navigate.
Cheers.
This is false, while Hertz is selling over 20K EVs, less than 3% of them are Tesla's. Most people are renting Tesla and not other EVs due to superior charging infrastructure. Here is a breakdown of what Hertz is selling:
Hertz currently has 27,721 vehicles for sale
-661 are Teslas (2%)
-5394 are Chevrolets
-5301 are Fords
-2890 are Nissans
-2231 are Toyotas
-Sales also include Mercedes, Porsche and many others
I just finished my first EV rental out in San Deigo 4 days ago. Here's the biggest problem with Tesla's at Hertz:
They lock the cars in Chill mode. It's freaking awful. I even called the dedicated EV help line and they refused to unlock it.
Now, I own 2 EVs (non-tesla). Not because I care about trees or anything, but because the government was dumb enough to give me 15,000 to buy them...
I just finished my first EV rental out in San Deigo 4 days ago. Here's the biggest problem with Tesla's at Hertz:
They lock the cars in Chill mode. It's freaking awful. I even called the dedicated EV help line and they refused to unlock it.
Now, I own 2 EVs (non-tesla). Not because I care about trees or anything, but because the government was dumb enough to give me 15,000 to buy them and they drive like a dream. Being in a Tesla in Chill mode is like being in a 4 cylinder Camry at best. It won't get out of its own way off the line when it should be like a rocket. Before I even pulled out of the lot, I went back inside and asked the agent for a Polestar or anything EV other than a garbage Chevy but they only had Tesla's on hand.
The charging is not a problem. Chargers are everywhere and generally it's very quick. Both the Conrad LA and Carte hotel in SD had chargers for free with the valet. And even if you don't want to charge before returning, who cares? The $25 you'd pay hertz is guaranteed less than you'd spend in gas.
But if I was a first time EV driver and got a Tesla in chill mode, I'd never even consider an EV again. Garbage...
FYI, try a polestar if you can. Tesla's really are build terribly.
The good news is that every Hertz location is different... SJC does NOT put them in chill mode.
Electric cars are not the future and make no sense, hydrogen is, the sooner we stop this electric nonsense and focus on hydrogen fuel cell the better.
Why does it have to be either/or right now? I agree that hydrogen is a better storage medium for electricity (so to speak) than Li batteries. But getting there will require a huge infrastructure buildout that dwarfs the current improvements to the electrical grid. I'd rather see battery-electric vehicles meanwhile, rather than sticking to fossil fuels until the hydrogen infrastructure is created.
There is massive research going into hydrogen but it has many challenges and risks. BEV is available now. Hydrogen or other tech may be mainstream later. Or not. We need all the solutions.
I own a plug-in hybrid and love it but would never rent a EV. I just booked a rent car at FCO for later this year and they offered Teslas. No thanks. I'd rather drive a stick manual. Also, I'm under no pretense about where all this "clean" electricity is generated. Typically coal fire plants. The catalytic converter was a massive improvement in auto exhaust. I'm more concerned about coal plant polluted than gas cars....
I own a plug-in hybrid and love it but would never rent a EV. I just booked a rent car at FCO for later this year and they offered Teslas. No thanks. I'd rather drive a stick manual. Also, I'm under no pretense about where all this "clean" electricity is generated. Typically coal fire plants. The catalytic converter was a massive improvement in auto exhaust. I'm more concerned about coal plant polluted than gas cars. If you own a combustion engine auto, never give it up.
If you use Chase Sapphire Preferred coverage, note in the terms that Teslas are listed as an uncovered premium vehicle! I almost rented one at EDI but was given a Polestar instead. Glad I didn’t end up driving around uncovered. I imagine many people do!
Also having to charge a car before returning is a huge hassle compared to a short stop at a station to fill up!
This is not surprising. I love both my EVs (audi EV and BMW PHEV) but unless you have home charging, they aren't the most convient at this point in time. Once fast and reliable pulbic charging is wide spread and more cost aligned, it will be easier. Driving and owning an EV does take an adjustment and if you've never driven one or know about how to charge them, it can be a wake up...
This is not surprising. I love both my EVs (audi EV and BMW PHEV) but unless you have home charging, they aren't the most convient at this point in time. Once fast and reliable pulbic charging is wide spread and more cost aligned, it will be easier. Driving and owning an EV does take an adjustment and if you've never driven one or know about how to charge them, it can be a wake up call to the driver.
I honestly won't rent one since you never know about charging in a different city or how far you might be driving on a business trip. Unless I know the landscape well, I would stick with an ICE. I hope they go Hybrid to get some environmental benefits. Eventually the EV will be on the same playing field, but right now, it's still going through support growing pains.
From the consumer side, Hertz screwed up by requiring EV's to be returned with 80% full battery. The rental car game is about speed and efficiency. Fumbling around in a strange city looking for a charger and while hoping you don't miss your outgoing flight is not high on any traveler's list of things to be doing.
There's also a fair amount of one way rentals, and the same situation applies. People want to...
From the consumer side, Hertz screwed up by requiring EV's to be returned with 80% full battery. The rental car game is about speed and efficiency. Fumbling around in a strange city looking for a charger and while hoping you don't miss your outgoing flight is not high on any traveler's list of things to be doing.
There's also a fair amount of one way rentals, and the same situation applies. People want to pop off the interstate, fill up quickly, and keep moving on in a time efficient manner. A required 30-plus minute break for a charge isn't appreciated when you're trying to make good time.
I've rented a Tesla twice with Hertz. I agree they are often obscenely overpriced, but I was able to find two decent deals. However I won't rent Teslas again. First as a rental car it sucks because you will need to recharge it before returning it. This requires finding a charger which may not be nearby to where you are returning the car. More obnoxious is you have to sit there while the car charges...
I've rented a Tesla twice with Hertz. I agree they are often obscenely overpriced, but I was able to find two decent deals. However I won't rent Teslas again. First as a rental car it sucks because you will need to recharge it before returning it. This requires finding a charger which may not be nearby to where you are returning the car. More obnoxious is you have to sit there while the car charges wasting the limited time you have vs a quick fuel up. Sure this isn't a big deal for somebody who owns a Tesla and that can just plug in the car overnight but it is a real pain for people with limited time.
On my most recent Tesla rental with Hertz I hit a bump in the road I guess all of a sudden I had a flat tire. Completely flat. Tesla didn't come with a spare. I called Hertz and they wanted me to pay for the tow truck and if I wanted to replace the tire I would have to pay for the tire and the work. Otherwise I would have to pay for the tow and then pay for a lyft to the airport which would run like $75 easy to get a replacement vehicle. Luckily for me though this happened within the first twenty minutes of the rental so since it was within the first hour of picking up the car Hertz covered all the fees under the theory that maybe something was wrong with the car they gave me.
In any event it screwed up all my plans due to the several hour delay. On top of this Tesla tires are not always readily available so if you get a flat out in the sticks somewhere you might not be going anywhere for awhile. yea they have some nice features but they are a hassle and not very convenient for a renter. I would never buy one personally because you have to replace the battery and all this other nonsense. The fanboys never tell you about all the drawbacks. With more advances they may warrant more consideration but as of now I feel like some people just want to try to show off.
Why Hertz even got into this makes no sense (although yes I know the reason-get that ESG score up). EV as rentals for me no way. There's a gas station on every corner and it's easy to fill the rental up with gas before returning. Do I want to be running around at 5AM on my return day trying to get the car charged up?
I laughed so hard when this first got announced - I could SEE the internal meeting just happening...
Newish CMO or CEO: "Exciting news! We signed Tom Brady and Tesla deals to shake things up and take Hertz to the next level!"
Operations VP: "Umm, I have questions - and you do realize folks are in a HURRY to return cars - not wait an hour to charge them"
Another VP: "Plus most of...
I laughed so hard when this first got announced - I could SEE the internal meeting just happening...
Newish CMO or CEO: "Exciting news! We signed Tom Brady and Tesla deals to shake things up and take Hertz to the next level!"
Operations VP: "Umm, I have questions - and you do realize folks are in a HURRY to return cars - not wait an hour to charge them"
Another VP: "Plus most of our customers dont drive a Tesla today - it might be confusing, they want a car to get in and GO"
Newish CMO or CEO: "Didnt you hear me? TOM BRADY & Teslas !!!!"
I could write a lot of things about this:
- charging
- do you have to pay for charging renting Hertz Tesla's?
- the driver experience is inferiror when you couldn't use the app (until September 2023 AFAIK)
- If you don't own an electric car, do you have the charger network accounts?
- does your hotel have a charger and when do you have to move it?
-...
I could write a lot of things about this:
- charging
- do you have to pay for charging renting Hertz Tesla's?
- the driver experience is inferiror when you couldn't use the app (until September 2023 AFAIK)
- If you don't own an electric car, do you have the charger network accounts?
- does your hotel have a charger and when do you have to move it?
- for some reason, more than one or two of the model 3's I rented smelled like smoke and other muck inside, and those smells and the associated perfumes to cover it up are putrid.
No, I can skip all this and say it's a hassle most people don't desire. And as much as I like playing with different, big/small/interesting/weird cars - I decided after a handful of days over 3+ rentals that I was done with it for now.
Every time I wanted to rent one, they were $30-40 more a day. Not worth it. If it was the same price as a standard car, for sure.
Last year I rented Teslas from Hertz for 8 total weeks (2 weeks, 3 weeks, and then 3 individual weeks), and drove a total of about 8,000 miles. I think it's fair to say that I have A LOT of firsthand knowledge of this subject, and as such I am reading the comments and wondering what the heck you all are talking about!
First: The reason I rented them so much is that they were...
Last year I rented Teslas from Hertz for 8 total weeks (2 weeks, 3 weeks, and then 3 individual weeks), and drove a total of about 8,000 miles. I think it's fair to say that I have A LOT of firsthand knowledge of this subject, and as such I am reading the comments and wondering what the heck you all are talking about!
First: The reason I rented them so much is that they were dirt cheap. I could get a Tesla for $250 a week when the smallest, cheapest gas car option was $400 or more. So I'm not sure how you all were finding them to be so expensive because they couldn't give them away last year and had to price them so low. That said, I did have to make the reservation while not logged into my Hertz account to get the best price, when I was logged in the price was much higher.
Second: You do not have to return them at 80% charge, they are just like gas cars in that you have to return the car charged to the same level or higher than it was when you rented it. This has evolved over the last few years and it did use to be 80% but it isn't anymore, but now you know that's not a thing so you can stop complaining about it, it's now no different than a gas car in that respect.
Third: I drove my Tesla on long trips, 600ish miles each way, and it could not have been easier. The navigation system routes out the charging stops for you and automatically adjusts as conditions and whatnot change, so you don't have to think about it at all, you just enter your final destination like you do in Google Maps but this puts in all of your charging stops too, so it's not at all difficult to charge your car on long trips, in fact it's insanely easy as I think there is a Level 3 charger at least every 25 miles in the U.S. My hometown in Northern Indiana is literally an Amish town and I still only had to drive 15 minutes to get to the nearest Tesla Supercharger, it wasn't a problem at all. So no, it's not a putz around town car that you don't take long distances, it's an absolute joy to drive long distances and make roadtrips a lot of fun.
If you listen to the naysayers (and read the comments from people here, and yes, I'm looking at you Tim Dunn), they've always "heard from someone" but never actually tried it out themselves, everyone is absolutely convinced that electric cars just don't work yet they've never given it a shot, or haven't tried it for more than a few minutes, they are just happy complaining about something they have no idea about. I was never a Tesla fanboy and absolutely insisted that I'd never give a dime of my money to Elon, but after my experiences last year I am absolutely planning to buy a Tesla as soon as possible, hopefully sometime this year, that's how impressive they are to drive.
What on earth has liberals or solar or anything you said got to do with RCB's original comment?
RCB wrote a whole discussion on Tesla's charging infrastructure and rental availability... and you're talking like a 2 year old child who ate too much glue.
And you just validated RCB's last paragraph. Well done!
RCB, It really all depends on WHERE and WHEN your looking for a rental. I have no doubt in what you wrote, and I also have no doubt in what Ben wrote either. EV's are not practical for many people, in many places, and for many situations.
RCB - I've rented Teslas with Hertz only once and for similar reasons to you - it was cheaper than alternatives. I'm 100% sure this wasn't Hertz' original plan. They were about 50% more than other rentals for the first year, and they cratered later on. I'm not surprised they're dumping Teslas.
My issue is the "return at charge level." With a gas car, that's reasonable - there are stations everywhere and it's a fast...
RCB - I've rented Teslas with Hertz only once and for similar reasons to you - it was cheaper than alternatives. I'm 100% sure this wasn't Hertz' original plan. They were about 50% more than other rentals for the first year, and they cratered later on. I'm not surprised they're dumping Teslas.
My issue is the "return at charge level." With a gas car, that's reasonable - there are stations everywhere and it's a fast experience when you need to top up. However, in LA, from where I was working and then driving in, charging would have added 35-40 minutes or so to my return time. So I get dinged.
At least the ding isn't as bad as Avis. They charge you for gas or electrons whether or not you're returning at 100% and then offer no way to protest the charge. Avis LAX is the worst.
I rented Teslas with Hertz and I would never recommend them to people renting a car. Most of us don't want to sit around waiting for a car to charge when we could just fill up and go. Such a stupid waste of time. In terms of your claims about finding them dirt cheap well I have never seen them cheaper than gas cars. Sometimes they are only a little more sometimes they are a...
I rented Teslas with Hertz and I would never recommend them to people renting a car. Most of us don't want to sit around waiting for a car to charge when we could just fill up and go. Such a stupid waste of time. In terms of your claims about finding them dirt cheap well I have never seen them cheaper than gas cars. Sometimes they are only a little more sometimes they are a whole lot more. The fact I had a flat on my only second time renting a Tesla really put me off them for good. Teslas burn though tires much quicker than other cars and I'm skeptical hertz really monitors the tires on their teslas aggressively enough to account for all the wear from the extra torque.
A lot of the back-and-forth in this discussion is just general pro vs con of EVs, and nothing to do with them as rental cars.
I've driven a Tesla as a daily vehicle since 2015 and so feel pretty comfortable with them. I also have a charger in our vacation home, which is where I usually rent cars. I'd still hesitate somewhat to rent a Tesla from Hertz, just because of the business with returning...
A lot of the back-and-forth in this discussion is just general pro vs con of EVs, and nothing to do with them as rental cars.
I've driven a Tesla as a daily vehicle since 2015 and so feel pretty comfortable with them. I also have a charger in our vacation home, which is where I usually rent cars. I'd still hesitate somewhat to rent a Tesla from Hertz, just because of the business with returning them. You're right that Hertz's policy parallels gas cars, but this doesn't really help: To return a gas car full, you just fill up at a station close to the airport. With EVs, there may not be a station close to the airport, and the time to recharge is significant, even if there's one nearby.
Currently Hertz charges a flat $35 to return the vehicle at <80% of charge. Paying that fee for a 75%-charged vehicle feels punitive to me. If the rental rate were cheap enough to make up for this fee, then maybe. But I'd much rather have them charge a fee per kWh below 80%.
Had a Tesla rental once and hated it. They aren’t really nice cars at all. They may be good EVs, but they are not comfortable to drive. They are hard to get in and out of. Would never buy one and don’t understand why anyone likes them.
Hertz is so Full of S%$#. I rented Teslas from Hertz all the time -- "when" they were available -- which was rare - and we are Pres. Circle members! They are usually SOLD OUT! And Teslas are NOT more expensive to repair - you never have to change oil, there is no interval maintenance on the car.. and it is LESS expensive to repair. They probably are getting ramrodded from the "other" car suppliers like FORD -
I rented a few teslas from hertz and others in the past… I mean it’s cool to drive an ev but it’s got more cons than pros.
First, they can’t seem to guarantee models properly, like one time I reserved model Y dual motor and they gave it to someone else, I had to settle for a basic model 3 non-dual motor.
Second, superchargers are not cheap, they are like 80-90% of gas and yet...
I rented a few teslas from hertz and others in the past… I mean it’s cool to drive an ev but it’s got more cons than pros.
First, they can’t seem to guarantee models properly, like one time I reserved model Y dual motor and they gave it to someone else, I had to settle for a basic model 3 non-dual motor.
Second, superchargers are not cheap, they are like 80-90% of gas and yet takes 1-2hours for a refill. It’s just bad for a rental car.
Third, and this is personal biases or preference: the range tanks hard when driving over 70mph. I like to drive 80-90 mph on my gas car with minimal degradation to gas mileage but heck that’s not the case with EVs. This why I don’t own one as well. Imagine in German autobahn driving at 150mph, you will fckong drain the mileage so fast.
“I like to drive 80-90 mph on my gas car with minimal degradation to gas mileage”
You’re getting way worse gas mileage at 80/90. You lose roughly 1% per mile an hour over 55 (hence why that was the speed limit during the 70s oil crisis).
From a simple google search:
“ Types of Electric Car Transmissions
There are two main types of electric car transmissions: single-speed and multi-speed. Before elaborating on the pros and cons of both types, let's first understand how each one works. A single-speed transmission electric car, as the name suggests, has only one gear. As a result, the motor is always running at maximum torque when the car is moving. This allows for quick acceleration without...
From a simple google search:
“ Types of Electric Car Transmissions
There are two main types of electric car transmissions: single-speed and multi-speed. Before elaborating on the pros and cons of both types, let's first understand how each one works. A single-speed transmission electric car, as the name suggests, has only one gear. As a result, the motor is always running at maximum torque when the car is moving. This allows for quick acceleration without requiring a complicated gearing system. However, it also means that the electric motor is less efficient at higher speeds. On the other hand, multi-speed transmission electric cars, just like their gas-powered counterparts, have multiple gears that allow them to reach higher speeds more efficiently. These cars have a gearbox that shifts the motor through several gears as the car accelerates. As a result, the motor runs at a lower RPM at high speeds, making the electric car more efficient while driving on highways”
Tesla redesigned manufacturing with things like Gigapress and this drives down manufacturing costs. However if you have a fender bender, instead of replacing a single panel, you are replacing half the car, and thus have way higher insurance costs
The EV works well for someone who is planning to use a car to drive around town and for short excursions. Some people do rent a car with that in mind, but I'll bet a good percentage plan to do more than that. The last thing I want to do is look for charging stations while driving around a national park or during a cross country trip and spend my vacation waiting for the thing...
The EV works well for someone who is planning to use a car to drive around town and for short excursions. Some people do rent a car with that in mind, but I'll bet a good percentage plan to do more than that. The last thing I want to do is look for charging stations while driving around a national park or during a cross country trip and spend my vacation waiting for the thing to charge. And the point that people unfamiliar with the vehicle have a learning curve is a valid one. Most gas vehicle rentals you can pretty easily figure out the lights, windshield wipers and be on your way quickly. Except for people who already own one, the Tesla isn't going to be a popular rental option.
Rental Car is just the worst use for EV’s. I can think of., people often drive a lot while on vacation and don’t have time to charge. They are also in a new city and not familiar where are the charging stations, different regions are served by different networks. Etc
I can’t help, but think this was a mistake for Tesla as now many people will be turned off by their vehicles
Rented a Tesla at PSP from Hertz for a week around Joshua Tree last year, was affordable compared to other options. Def a leaning curve and had to invest time into planning routes and getting used to charging, but overall had a good experience. The Tesla overall felt kind of cheap and not premium (but knew that going in from being in countless Ubers). That being said, that rental is a primary reason when we...
Rented a Tesla at PSP from Hertz for a week around Joshua Tree last year, was affordable compared to other options. Def a leaning curve and had to invest time into planning routes and getting used to charging, but overall had a good experience. The Tesla overall felt kind of cheap and not premium (but knew that going in from being in countless Ubers). That being said, that rental is a primary reason when we bought a 2nd car recently we opted for an electric and had confidence in knowing what we were signing up for, this time not a Tesla though.
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Rented a Tesla a few months ago (was assigned to it and not many cars left). I know many love them. But to jump in and rent? Had to get the app downloaded. Could not figure out how to turn it off and my girlfriend was waiting to see me after weeks apart. I agree that it’s a learning curve and may explain accidents. I went into super careful mode. Then I did have free...
Rented a Tesla a few months ago (was assigned to it and not many cars left). I know many love them. But to jump in and rent? Had to get the app downloaded. Could not figure out how to turn it off and my girlfriend was waiting to see me after weeks apart. I agree that it’s a learning curve and may explain accidents. I went into super careful mode. Then I did have free charging at my hotel, so that was a great discovery. Will rent more electrics, and just did. A Chevy Bolt EUV. Was simple to understand. The Hertz policy saved me cost of returning not full. Found a charger and now understand better. Drove well. For sure would repeat. They are pulling back just as they started to convert me, the positive side of a learning curve.
That is the big issue - customers being assigned EVs that they didn’t plan on renting and then having to adapt their trip and download all the apps.
Unfortunately the botched rollout by Hertz and the initial very high rental rates and not providing high speed chargers at all their locations made this a fiasco.
They should have just let the customers return them and charged a small fee for not returning it full
They have other EVs not just Tesla. I've seen Polestar and Bolt as well. Hertz would have been better off buying lower priced EVs or plugin hybrids.
...Unfortunately the botched rollout by Hertz and the initial very high rental rates and not providing high speed chargers at all their locations made this a fiasco.
They should have just let the customers return them and charged a small fee for not returning it full
They have other EVs not just Tesla. I've seen Polestar and Bolt as well. Hertz would have been better off buying lower priced EVs or plugin hybrids.
As for me I've always had an EV since 2011 but never a Tesla because I'm not supporting a company run by a racist and a antisemitic POS.
Want to get a Tesla at Hertz? Just go to LAX. Presidents circle is full of them. Most of the time people are running off the bus to get the 2 gas cars there.
Agree with the comments.
My experience with an electric rental was that I had to spend time figuring out charging locations/ waiting for chargers.
Not worth the trouble.
Hertz's EV program was wishful thinking without developing effective training or customer outreach. If you've never driven an EV and just get plopped into a Polestar, there's a lot to learn - for example, the "off" command is buried a few menus deep because you're supposed to just put it into park and the car senses when you get out. Staff don't know the specs of what they're selling. Cars are being provided with half...
Hertz's EV program was wishful thinking without developing effective training or customer outreach. If you've never driven an EV and just get plopped into a Polestar, there's a lot to learn - for example, the "off" command is buried a few menus deep because you're supposed to just put it into park and the car senses when you get out. Staff don't know the specs of what they're selling. Cars are being provided with half charge or less. Hertz seemed to think that just with a critical mass of vehicles and low(ish) rates people would adapt - it hasn't worked yet.
Echo all the comments about Hertz’s policy about returning the car 80% charged. That was the reason I stopped selecting EVs when renting; it was too much of a hassle.
Hertz has recently changed their pricing policy for electric cars. I'm often seeing the electric car category being about $10-$20 more a day compared to a standard sedan.
As for @Robert and others complaint that you have to return it 80% full, Hertz only charges a $25 fee for returning it less than 80%, which is usually about the same price as recharging it at a commercial charger if you are mostly empty.
For me, the biggest obstacle was bringing back the electric car fully charged. Usually when I bring back a rental, it’s right before a flight. So the last thing I want to do is sit and wait somewhere for ~30 min for the car to fully charge. And who knows if that charging station is even near the rental location? Just seems like a huge hassle, so I don’t even bother with electric, and just stick with gas.
Just an observation “typo” Tesla is now selling off one- third of its fleet
I rented a Tesla in Maui for my upcoming trip in April because it was the cheapest option by far. Interesting if Hertz is getting rid of Teslas, maybe they won't have the car available that I had reserved? But if I end up actually getting a Tesla, it would be an interesting experience. I have never driven an electric car before, but would love to try. There are no Tesla superchargers in Maui, but my hotel has a regular charger that is free for guests.
It’s cheapest because of supply & demand.
Fingers crossed nobody else gets ahead of you at that hotel, because it won’t be a fast charger and it still might turn out to be a hassle.
Maui has a very poor charging infrastructure. i had to dump my EV because most of the chargers don't work or occupied by a Tesla.
You would be better off with a ICE.. as much as I support EVs. Hawaii seems so behind since it would be an ideal place to own an EV if they had a decent charging infrastructure.
You’re a tourist in Maui, you rent a Jeep Wrangler like everyone else!
I actually think Hertz doesn't have Teslas on Maui any longer.
I've rented them a few times from Hertz, but now they only have Bolts when I shop online.
Avis does still have Teslas there, AFAIK.
Too bad renters can't take to EVs. Def the right move forward, and my preference, especially in a location like Maui with tons of extra electricity during the day and basically no range issues.
I’m a huge proponent of EVs, but rental car agencies have completely screwed up requiring renters to return the cars with a full (>80%) battery.
Before investing in the cars themselves, rental car companies need to build chargers at their locations and allow customers to pay a reasonable fee (like what they would pay at a public charger) to return the car empty.
It’s a massive pain to find a time and a...
I’m a huge proponent of EVs, but rental car agencies have completely screwed up requiring renters to return the cars with a full (>80%) battery.
Before investing in the cars themselves, rental car companies need to build chargers at their locations and allow customers to pay a reasonable fee (like what they would pay at a public charger) to return the car empty.
It’s a massive pain to find a time and a place to charge before returning a car, especially when most renters don’t have a permanent place to charge, and are unfamiliar with public chargers.
This would actually make EV rentals more attractive than gas for renters driving less than ~250mi, as they would never have to charge during their rental, and wouldn’t have to go looking for an (overpriced) gas station near the airport.
Reasonable fee is relative. Hertz needs to set the car up on a charger and then have somebody wait to hit 80% or return to retrieve the car after charging. Anybody that has observed airport rental operations understands that Ev cars disrupt their normal operations.
I agree. I once rented a Tesla from Hertz and loved driving it but it was so inconvenient to find a charging station and sit there for half an hour at 11:00pm before an early morning flight when I was tired after a long day!
I wanted to drive from Las Vegas to San Francisco and stay in San Francisco. It wasn't too practical to rent an EV.
If I am on a business trip in one city, often I would drive and then head to the airport by 4:30 pm or so. There might not be time to recharge it, particularly if they want it full. I am not certain how full they want it but it keeps changing. Before, maybe 10% but now maybe 80% or the same as when it was first rented.
I have talked to multiple people that have rented electric cars and the number one problem has been finding a charger and carving out time to charge.
When you are traveling, learning the charging infrastructure where you are visiting is not on the list.
E cars work for suburban people in their own hometown, usually w/ a charger in their own home.
This resistance to e cars is not exclusive to Hertz.
Agreed Tim. Not sure how difficult it is to find a charger in the Atlanta area where you presumably live, but even in the Bay Area, it can be annoying, difficult, and time-consuming to find a high-speed charger sometimes, at least one that's readily available and not occupied by another vehicle.
Also, many cities don't have a lot of charging coverage, and the chargers you do find are slow. There are a myriad of stories about people trying to take road trips in electric vehicles and discovering it's a logistical nightmare. I flew into Hartford, CT, last year, and paid 2x *more* for a gas car because my wife didn't know of a single place in her hometown that had a charger (and when looking it...
Also, many cities don't have a lot of charging coverage, and the chargers you do find are slow. There are a myriad of stories about people trying to take road trips in electric vehicles and discovering it's a logistical nightmare. I flew into Hartford, CT, last year, and paid 2x *more* for a gas car because my wife didn't know of a single place in her hometown that had a charger (and when looking it up, we weren't able to find many, and they were of dubious quality).
I *think* most people that buy electric vehicles charge them at home, or at their place of employment, at least primarily. There just isn't the infrastructure in the vast majority of places to support renting electric vehicles and setting the renter up for any kind of success.
THIS! Exactly.