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First Tesla, now Polestar – Hertz signs a new electric vehicle partner

    By the end of the year, Hertz customers will be able to rent electric vehicles from both Polestar and Tesla.
    enlarge † By the end of the year, Hertz customers will be able to rent electric vehicles from both Polestar and Tesla.

    North Star

    Car rental company Hertz is significantly expanding its electric vehicle fleet. On Monday, it announced a new partnership with Polestar, the Swedish performance EV startup. If all goes according to plan, Hertz will purchase 65,000 Polestar EVs over the next five years for use in Europe, North America and Australia.

    This isn’t Hertz’s first major EV purchase. Having gone bankrupt during the first few months of the pandemic, it is back and well capitalized and on a mission to electrify.

    In 2021, Hertz announced that Teslas would make up more than a fifth of its U.S. rental fleet by the end of this year, in a mix of Model 3 sedans and Model Y crossovers.

    But Hertz apparently does not limit itself to one supplier. “We are excited to partner with Polestar and look forward to introducing their premium EV products to our retail and rideshare fleets,” said Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr. “Today’s partnership with Polestar builds on our ambition to become a leading participant in the modern mobility ecosystem and to do so as an environmentally conscious company. By partnering with leaders in the EV industry, such as Polestar, we can help accelerate the adoption of electrification while providing renters, corporate customers and rideshare partners with a premium EV product, exceptional experience and a lower carbon footprint.”

    Assuming the Hertz Polestar rental works the same way as a Hertz Tesla rental, customers can expect some form of free DC fast charging and likely some leeway regarding returning the car with at least 10 percent charge remaining. Polestar has a seamless charging partnership with ChargePoint, and owners of a new Polestar 2 have two years of unlimited 30-minute fast charging sessions at Electrify America locations. (The Polestar 2 doesn’t support plug-and-charge yet, though, so renters should be prepared to use an app.)

    Europe will be the first Hertz region to receive Polestar 2s this spring. Reservations in North America and Australia should be possible in the fall of 2022, according to Polestar.