Hertz to sell 20k EVs in shift back to gas-powered cars

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Hertz is offloading 20,000 electric vehicles, largely Teslas, after finding that high collision repair costs, long repair times and sharp depreciation have made them uneconomical in a short-turnover rental fleet. Commenters highlight that EVs work well for owners who can charge at home, but are poorly suited to typical rental scenarios where drivers are in unfamiliar places, face fragmented or unreliable non-Tesla charging networks, and often resist the learning curve and range-planning overhead. Several note that Tesla’s price cuts and parts policies further undermined resale value and repairability, while also arguing that EV rentals may make more sense once infrastructure, standards and user familiarity improve.

Why Hertz EV Rentals Struggled

  • Many renters declined EVs even when offered as “upgrades” or cheaper options.
  • Common reasons: unfamiliarity with EVs, not wanting to learn a new UI on a trip, and fear of “range anxiety” in an unfamiliar area.
  • Even long‑time EV owners often avoid EV rentals, especially non‑Teslas, because business travel and vacations have tight schedules and unknown charging options.

Charging Infrastructure & User Experience

  • Tesla Supercharger integration with Hertz is often praised: plug in, billing is automatic, navigation knows chargers and preconditions the battery.
  • Non‑Tesla charging is widely described as fragmented and unreliable: multiple apps and RFID fobs, cards that don’t accept foreign payments, broken or occupied chargers, unclear pricing.
  • Several stories of cars handed over at 20% or even 1% charge, or with missing adapters, forcing immediate charging detours.
  • Airport locations and hotels often lack adequate chargers; Level 1/2 charging can take many hours, incompatible with quick turnarounds.

Return Policies & Customer Friction

  • Hertz typically requires returning EVs at the same state of charge or a threshold (e.g., 75–80%), or paying a flat “convenience” fee.
  • Some renters found this reasonable versus gas refueling markups; others found it stressful or inconsistently applied.
  • For short local rentals, needing to manage charging just to avoid a fee is seen as disproportionate hassle.

Costs, Repairs, and Depreciation

  • Hertz cites EV collision and damage repairs as roughly double comparable ICE cars, plus long repair times and parts delays (especially for Teslas).
  • Mono‑cast bodies, battery‑adjacent damage, and OEM‑controlled parts/service are blamed for high repair costs and loss of use.
  • Tesla’s aggressive new‑car price cuts have pushed down used values, making salvages and routine fleet rotation more expensive.
  • Uber/ride‑hail use of Hertz EVs resulted in very high mileage and more damage, further hurting economics.

Broader Takeaways on EVs as Rentals

  • Many see EVs as ideal for daily commuting with home charging, but poorly matched to generic rental use where edge cases (long trips, cold weather, rural driving) dominate.
  • Some renters report excellent EV experiences (especially with good hotel charging), but overall sentiment is that the current ecosystem and vehicle designs are not yet a “no‑brainer” for rental fleets.