Uber drivers in the US will be able to offer services with Tesla electric vehicles (EVs) rented from Hertz Global Holdings from November 1st.
Fresh from a record order for 100,000 Teslas earlier this week, Hertz will supply up to 50,000 EVs to drivers for the ride-hailing giant by 2023, Uber Technologies said in a statement on its website Wednesday, which is no longer accessible. Until now, Uber drivers have had to provide and maintain their own EVs.
The cars will initially be available through Hertz’s rental programme in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Washington DC, followed by a nationwide rollout in subsequent weeks, Uber said, adding that it marks the largest expansion of EVs on a mobility platform in North America. A spokeswoman for Hertz in Germany wasn’t immediately able to comment.
Car rentals
Hertz is shaking up the car rental market barely four months after emerging from bankruptcy, as it piles into EVs and mobile technology. The Florida-based company’s $4.2 billion (€3.6 million) Tesla order sent the automaker’s market value past $1 trillion.
In the Uber agreement, Tesla rentals will start at $334 a week and fall to $299 or lower as the programme gets under way, Uber said. Initially, drivers must have a 4.7-star rating or more and have completed at least 150 trips to be eligible. – Bloomberg
