While the company believed it could get out ahead of the competition, the reality was that it was digging its own grave. Bloomberg goes into great detail about how an out-of-touch executive class was utterly convinced that they were ushering in an entirely new way of renting an automobile. Management was positive Certares could solve Hertz software and cloud issues while likewise integrating the many travel agencies it owned into novel money making ventures. Leadership simultaneously touted a keyless future where customers could simply use their phone to locate, unlock, and then drive rental vehicles away. Hertz was even renting EVs to Uber drivers as part of a new partnership program.
There was a lot going on at the time.
But the above ignores the fundamental problems the company was already facing and didn’t make all-electric vehicles any easier for people on vacation to use. The fact of the matter is that not all trips or parts of the country actually work with EVs. Whether on business or pleasure, absolutely nobody wants to take time out of their itinerary to charge an electric car. However, they’re effectively forced to when they’re renting since they cannot charge at home.
It turned out that just getting the EVs into the right regions was a tall order for the company. Many places saw extremely low demand for Tesla and Polestar vehicles, with customers refusing to take them since they didn’t want to go out of their way to charge them. But the places where they became popular likewise became problematic, as customers would often return them low on battery power. Locations often did not have enough charging stations present to ensure the vehicles would be ready for the following day — enraging the limited number of renters who actually wanted an EV.
Tesla rentals were also involved in more accidents (per capita) because those new to all-electric vehicles weren’t familiar with how they operated. Peppy cars that the company originally thought saved them on long-term maintenance (e.g. oil changes) ended up costing more because the repairs were so much more costly and common.
Zero sympathy…
More pls..
Diesel powers my Duramax
& Heats my RV.
Long live Diesel…!!
yes highest energy density of all hydrocarbons save anthracite coal
Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
This is the first I’ve seen it mentioned regarding the Hertz EV debacle, but yeah, when I’m on a 5-day 4-night vacation or in a town on business for a day or two, I don’t want to waste 45 minutes (or more, if there is a queue) charging a car. Gimme da keys to a gasser.
… absolutely nobody wants to take time out of their itinerary to charge an electric car.
One would think a highly educated, Hertz executive might consider that COMMON SENSE, REAL WORLD rental EV limitation? Or … Hertz exec’s believed their customers are primarily major corporate renters who are as woke as they are … and will suffer all manner of inconvenience to signal their virtue?
I bet you Car rental cos. Got government tax incentives to go EV…there’s a money trail I’m sure. Hertz and others cannot be that stupid.
“Hertz and others cannot be that stupid.”
Ahhhhhh, yes they can be that stupid, and even more so, I’v worked in the car industry for 16 years, and at a rental head office too, They can be stupid in over drive. Also, in industry, the more education they have, the higher the stupidity rate.
stupid is as stupid does
The former CEO was a Princeton grad and worked at Goldman Sachs for a spell before being asked to take the helm at Hertz. Must’ve been a real prize because they paid him 128 Million to come on board.
My goodness…all that education and money and yet so spectacularly stupid.
Anyone who’s worked in banking knows that one of the requirements for success is to have no contact or appreciation of the real world – it really gets in the way of plans for our plans for world domination. That’s why the banksters find population reduction so attractive – you little people just get in the way of all of our great plans!
Just for fun, I checked the rates for Hertz for a 5 day rental. I could get a small SUV, Toyota Rav4, for around $300, or a Tesla for close to $500.
If I were to rent something, the choice would be obvious.
The only reason to opt for a Tesla would be for the novelty of actually driving an EV. Not ready for that right now.
If you want some sparky car news to laugh at and warm the cockles of your heart, check out Jaguar’s new ultra-cringe marketing campaign. This EV thing will be short-lived as the’ve basically swallowed the bullet with this one already.
Burton the one line you stated “My goodness…all that education and money and yet so spectacularly stupid”, is absolutely a great one. LMAO
I am waiting for the bans on gasoline stations. Already, many have disappeared on Canadian and American roads.
We will be driving miles to fill up soon, should we continue to elect municipal and provincial climate activists. Any strata should ban EVs toys from garages. Have we not yet learned how these vehicles blow up sometimes? Soon, no one will be able to afford home insurance.
The strategy seems to be eliminate gas stations so soon the average refuelling time, including driving to a remaining station, will equalize with EV refuelling time.
How much incompetence is enough?
vehicles … were shown in internal databases as missing. This led to hundreds of people being arrested for cars they never stole.
I haven’t heard the Hertz Donut gag in over 50 years. I’ll have to show my grandkids. Thanks Kate.
That’s a real gut punch.
The opposite is also true. I tried to rent a four-wheel drive 3/4 ton truck in Oregon. No problem. Done. A week before I was to travel there I got a call from Enterprise saying there were no trucks available but they had an SUV (with regular tires). They explained the Forest Service people had “commandeered” all the heavy-duty trucks because of the fire season. “Happens every year” they explained. “Then why not get more trucks” I asked. Silence on the end of the phone then “does this mean you don’t want the SUV?”.
feel free to check out a Steve Lehto on youtube.
countless financial a legal disasters triggered by the HURTS folks taking a shortcut to something by reporting vehicles out on rental contracts being stolen.
or this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoVzMRKwXK8
opens with “guess which rental car company charged a customer
$277 to gas up a Tesla”
stupid is as stupid does. thank you for that input mr gump.
Talking of cars, spot the Jaguar
https://twitter.com/i/status/1858800846646948155
Via Zerohedge
I could like an old classic Jag, but wouldn’t give money to a company that spent it to make that advert. I think it possible that every actor/dancer/model in it has only ever lived in a large metropolis doesn’t own a motor vehicle of any kind, and doesn’t have a driving licence