The Hertz-Tesla Deal Has Big News for Uber

Hertz will rent up to half of its new Teslas to Uber drivers
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 28, 2021 1:12 AM CDT
Half of Hertz's Teslas Will Be Rented to Uber Drivers
In this Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017 photo a Hertz rental car logo rests on the front of a Hertz location, in Boston.   (AP Photo/Steven Senne, file)

Hertz is adding 100,000 Teslas to its US and European fleets, and on Wednesday it announced that up to half of those will be rented out to Uber drivers. "Today's partnership with Uber is another major step forward in Hertz becoming an essential component of the modern mobility ecosystem and executing on our commitment to being an environmentally forward company," said the interim CEO. The rental car company is also considering adding more electric vehicles to its rental car fleet from other manufacturers, NBC News reports. The cost for Uber drivers will be $334 per week plus taxes and fees, but the price will eventually go down to $299 per week.

An Uber VP says the partnership is "a step forward to advance electrification on the Uber platform," noting that it's still often too expensive for Uber drivers to own electric vehicles. Uber and competitor Lyft have both pledged to go fully electric in the US by 2030, the Washington Post reports. Customers (and Uber drivers) in LA, San Francisco, San Diego, and Washington, DC, will be able to rent the Tesla Model 3 sedans from Hertz starting Nov. 1, with a nationwide expansion planned by the end of the year. Hertz also said Wednesday that it will sell vehicles it retires from its fleet to used car retailer Carvana, amid a continuing shortage of both new and used vehicles. (Thanks in part to the Hertz deal, Elon Musk got $36 billion richer in a single day.)

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