Hertz – BIG

Riders in Vancouver have a new option to pick from when the next time they use Uber.

Comfort Electric features premium electric vehicles, including Tesla and Polestar. But riders aren’t the only ones who can access something new.

Drivers under the new category also have the potential to earn more under Uber’s Zero Emissions incentive, including an extra dollar for every eligible trip. Uber says electric vehicle drivers on the platform have avoided using almost 6 million gallons of gas.

Uber says its partnership with Hertz has paved the way for the program. The partnership allows drivers to rent Teslas on a weekly basis to complete trips.

Vancouver is the only Canadian city where Comfort Electric is available. However, drivers in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal can rent a Tesla from Hertz to complete rides.

You can download Uber from the App Store and Google Play.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: Uber

Hertz is purchasing a whopping 65,000 electric vehicles (EV) from Swedish-based automotive company Polestar. The deal struck between the two companies will cover the next five years as Hertz increases its supply of rentable vehicles.

Hertz’s deal with Polestar focuses mainly on the Polestar 2 hatchback sedan. However, Hertz and Polestar agree that it may expand to include other models down the road. The deal sees vehicles available to rent in Europe first. North America and Australia will follow shortly after later this year.

In addition, Hertz has noted that Polestar vehicles will be available for ride-share drivers as well.

This global partnership is one facet of Hertz’s overall plan to beef up its rental vehicle selection. More recently in October 2021, Hertz partnered with Tesla to purchase 100,000 EVs from the company.

The Polestar 2 is one of the available EV models the company provides on the market. Hertz’s deal covers “up to” 65,000 vehicles. However, the rental company can choose to purchase less over the next five years.

In 2021, Polestar sole 29,000 vehicles. That number alone is a drastic increase from what was sold in 2020. Though, the company aims to sell more than double that number by the end of 2022. Hertz may be a major player in that goal being reached.

As of the time of writing, Hertz has not announced pricing details or the availability of the rentals. However, given the structure already established by the Tesla Model 3 rentals, we can assume there will be premium rental rates associated.

Hertz is increasing its investment in EVs by solidifying its deal with Polestar and previously Tesla. This will likely increase and develop as time goes on and the scaling of its rental supply increases.

Via: Engadget