Hertz to Buy 175,000 EVs, Build National Charging Networks

By Christian Roselund

On 20 September 2022 U.S. rental car company Hertz announced that it will order up to 175,000 EVs from Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC and BrightDrop over the next five years. This will include a range vehicle types, from compact vehicles to trucks, sport utility vehicles, and luxury cars, and builds on Hertz’s 2021 commitment to buy 100,000 Teslas. Hertz currently has around 20,000 Teslas for rent in the United States and Canada out of a fleet of 424,000 vehicles and plans for EVs to make up one-quarter of its fleet by the end of 2024.

This latest procurement will begin with delivery of Chevrolet Bolt EVs and Bolt EUVs in the first quarter of 2023. General Motors, which owns the Chevrolet brand and made the announcement with Hertz, plans to scale production of EVs in the United States through 2023 and 2025. The car maker says that the opening of Ultium Cells battery cell factories in Ohio, Tennessee, and Michigan will enable this move.

In addition to the purchase of EVs, Hertz has signed an MOU to launch a nationwide charging network with bp pulse, the EV charging arm of the oil major. These chargers would initially serve Hertz customers, but later expand to ride-sharing drivers and the public, with the first chargers deployed in the first half of 2023. Canary Media reports that these chargers would be mostly at airports but would also be deployed in city centers.

Source: Hertz and GM Plan Major EV Expansion (Hertz)

News coverage: Hertz wants to turn its airport rental-car lots into EV-charging hubs (Canary Media)