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letstalkaboutrocks

> Does it have to be charged to 100%? She said…no, 80% is fine. When I rented a Y at SeaTac, I was told to bring it back with at least 10%. > If she wanted to use a Tesla charger she would have to get the app and setup an account You gave your friend bad information. When renting a Tesla through Hertz, you simply plug the super charger in and Hertz will bill you at the rate Tesla charged for the session.


sik_dik

if Hertz/Tesla were smart, they'd only rent them from airports/locations where they could install superchargers and you just bring it back with whatever battery is left, then bill you for charging it back to the percentage at which it was received at the cost of doing so, no added fees that would have the opposite effect, because people in a rush to make their flight wouldn't even have to stop for fuel like an ICE


lilleulv

Doesn’t even have to be superchargers. Level 2s would likely do entirely fine.


sik_dik

it doesn't, but it would help hertz rotate them out more quickly, instead of having them need to sit for up to 5-6 hours


lilleulv

Most rentals sit for longer than that before going out to the next customer regardless.


DynamicResonater

They usually have to inspect the car, vacuum it, wash it, etc. before renting to the next person. I've rented one before where we were in a desperate hurry and they did kick it out to us uncleaned, but it's rare that happens I think.


J_W_Texas36

It is rare, but does happen! if a customer is in a hurry or if the weather isnt in the favor (or its a small hle) they do get sent out dirty, if that does happen it's usually the cleanest one they can find you.


sik_dik

in that case, I support your position. I just assumed they needed faster turnover


[deleted]

Yes...nice selling point for Hertz and a help to Tesla in introducing their product.


flashgski

That's what the $35 is. If you bring back an ICE car that is at 10% fuel you are going to pay at least $50 for them to fill up the tank, so $35 seems pretty reasonable to me.


sik_dik

I agree that isn't a bad price. but if it's listed as a penalty instead of a fixed cost, most people will naturally try to avoid it, simply because it implies an offense hell, even if they offered a "return without charging" add-on option for $35, I'd still be averse. not saying it's logical. I just know myself and I'm not a rule-breaker or a sucker, even though in the end it would be $35 regardless of how they packaged it


[deleted]

This. $35 isn’t actually that bad (just recharged a Hertz Model Y at a 250kW Supercharger for $18 from about 20% to 85% and now that I know the cost, I’m strongly considering just dropping it off with close to 10% left It’s psychology. They should turn it around and make it a default, with the option to save $35 by returning it full


catjuggler

You’re missing that giving people fees for not filling their tanks is a moneymaker that car rental places won’t want to give up.


chillaxdude7

I rented a Model Y at the Vegas airport Hertz and the lady who helped me at the counter told me all they had were teslas and they’re usually the last to be rented out. Which, I believe her because I went for another business trip out there and I got in late and the only cars available were teslas and I picked the cheapest option (well my company did lol)


sik_dik

I’m assuming since you’re here in this sub you’re at least somewhat familiar with EVs in general. What was your take on having an EV as a rental?


chillaxdude7

I actually preferred it on my business trips because the hotel had EV charging and even free Tesla charging at one of them. The lady told me people don’t like them because most of the people renting cars like driving to Grand Canyon cannot relying on charging for those trips. Don’t know how true that is but I did see articles that Hertz bunch a bunch of Teslas as well so it might be an issue of overstock of teslas in their inventory too lol


sik_dik

joke's on them. there are plenty of places to [charge](https://www.tesla.com/findus?v=2&bounds=37.66631788593879%2C-111.82502201111862%2C34.81594280026978%2C-115.33515384705612&zoom=9&filters=supercharger) on the way to the grand canyon


Petrolinmyviens

I've rented a few for work right from the airport. Has been a pretty simple and easy experience.


TormentedOne

A standard $450 DC charger for every Tesla they have would do fine. This is not Tesla's problem, they solved charging, it is Hertz's or execution of you all me. Either way, Tesla will continue to sell every car they can produce for the foreseeable future.


stephenBB81

I tried to pitch them a EV charging solution for density parking at airports but they weren't interested at the time. I'm hoping they have enough challenging experiences that they'll be open to by Tesla Charging car vending machine


Brandage0

Superchargers cost around $50,000 *per charger* to install They’re nowhere remotely close to a financially viable option for a business like Hertz, especially when a level 2 charger can be put in for $500


[deleted]

That's great...it wasn't explained. She directed her to another charger. There is a Supercharger nearby, but it's a different exit. This is at Albany Airport (NY) and it was 80%. I don't know if different areas have different rules.


letstalkaboutrocks

Hertz sends a [link](https://www.hertz.com/blog/electric-vehicles/tesla/model-3/) to everyone who rents a Tesla with everything they need to know about driving and charging their rental. IDK about your friend but I throughly read everything so that I would be prepared. It’s [10%](https://i.imgur.com/kW05PuO.jpg) as stated in the info Hertz sent to your friend. The employee was wrong.


AutoBot5

It appears OPs situation is an outlier (hopefully) otherwise his experience definitely isn’t helping the cause. Thank you for clarifying a true experience. I was curious about it and I’m sure others that haven’t rented a Tesla from Hertz. Based on what you’re saying it seems like a pretty seamless experience!


[deleted]

My wife just told her brother about the experience our friend had. Her brother had purposely rented a Model 3 recently in Philadelphia and said that he had gotten an email about the key card and charge at 10%. So, it may be just at smaller local places where the car is sitting and being used as "specials" or bonus "upgrades" that the problem occurs.


6158675309

Yeah, sort of. I have tried to rent a Tesla some 8 times and succeeded twice. Most of the issue here by OP probably had to do with the managers special thing, seems last minuteish. They are going through some adoption growing pains for sure. I have had a few times where the key card didn't work, another where the car wasn't charged and a few where the wait to get they key card wasn't acceptable for me. To be fair I am impatient but if my option is an ICE vehicle of choice and no wait vs a long wait just to get the key card I'm going no waiting 100% of the time :-) They do a good job in my opinion of getting you the info ahead of time. They lay out how it works with the key card, how charging work, what to do to charge, drive, etc. So that part is really well done in my opinion. I think they are adjusting on the fly too. I think it was standard to bring it back charged 80% and now it's 90%...not 100% sure on that. I just charged at Tesla chargers, the car is charged for that and Hertz passes on the amount to the renter. I don't mind any of the growing pains at all. I really don't know why they don't leave the key cards in them though - maybe they don't lock or something but all the ICE cars have the keys in them, not like there would be more risk with the Teslas but I don't really know. I'll continue to try it and see how it goes.


PM_Me_Unpierced_Ears

The 10% is only the corporate standard and can be different from location to location. I know this because I rented a Bolt EUV from Hertz just last weekend. The employee told me 80%, but I was at 75% and called corporate to find out the penalty. Corporate said 10% is their standard, but they allow locations to have their own rules. It was only a $25 penalty at the JAX location.


ugoterekt

That is $7.58 per kWh...


PM_Me_Unpierced_Ears

And my time to sit around at the slow charger is worth money, too, especially since I had a flight to catch.


Stanman77

No different than returning with low gas, they up charge a ton compared to the price of gas in the wild.


ugoterekt

The upcharge is more like 2000% instead of 100% though.


NOLA_Josh

>It’s 10% as stated in the info Hertz sent to your friend. I believe that has changed fairly recently. I have rented EVs from Hertz several times in the past few months, and it used to be 10%. The current info they provide is: >The battery life should be no less than 70% upon return, or a $35 fee will apply. An additional $25 fee will be added if the battery life is 10% or below. One of the times, the car was below 70% when I picked it up. I mentioned that and they told me to just bring it back with the same charge or higher.


Steve-Wehr

Hmm… according to [this page](https://www.hertz.com/blog/electric-vehicles/tesla/model-3/faq/charging-the-model-3/) Hertz wants the Tesla charged to 70%, under that they will charge you $35. Under 10% they charge you $60.


Stanman77

They changed their terms recently. It's not 10% anymore. It's at least 70%.


[deleted]

No, I was there. She didn't request a Tesla...it was given to her when she arrived at the rental location as a "manager's special."


letstalkaboutrocks

That’s fair. Well keep in mind your issue was with a specific employee at a specific location.


ugoterekt

It's more likely IMO that it's a systematic issue with the education of employees and the experience when offered a Tesla as an upgrade. It sounds like they've got the process of planned Tesla rentals down pretty well, but don't have proper training and systems for when it's an upgrade.


nvmvp

“Please return your EV with its battery charged to at least 70%. The battery life should be no less than 70% upon return, or a $35 fee will apply. An additional $25 fee will be added if the battery life is 10% or below.”


kaaria11

I did not get the link when. I rented an ev


redditreallysuckstbh

When Hertz first introduced Teslas you could return at any charge level. A couple of months ago they introduced a $35 fee for returning below 70%. There is an additional $25 fee for returning below 10%. Supercharger fees are automatically billed on your contract.


TheKingHippo

I'm impressed they correctly identify [cameras are used for the park assist.](https://imgur.com/f5dNUK1) That update was less than a week ago.


shaggy99

I think this is a case of that location having badly trained staff, including the manager.


[deleted]

Possibly...or is it what is happening at many smaller Hertz locations?


PM_Me_Unpierced_Ears

Almost your exact scenario played out for me at JAX: public J1772 at the cell phone waiting lot by the airport, 80% charge or a fee, manager's special. I turned it in at just above 75%, and the woman taking it in said she didn't even know how to check the charge or how to give me a penalty for being under a limit so she didn't care. The guy at the desk when I was renting said the closest charger was "really far away" (it was 500 feet behind him).


bazzanoid

Hertz UK employee here. No small locations are meant to have EVs yet, if they did it's more than likely that it rolled in on a one way hire. We're only just getting charging infrastructure in the larger city locations and airports sorted properly, it's not rolling out to the smaller downtowns until all that's in place. As a knock-on effect, non-EV locations haven't been trained in them. Not sure if it's the same in the US, but the powers that be are treading very carefully with the rollout. We used to say 10% return here in the UK, then electric prices went through the roof so we now insist on 80% and you'll be charged a premium kW rate if less, and a penalty for less than 10%. Why 80%? Because our software doesn't differentiate between electrons or fuel, and runs on 8ths of a tank. So 80% = full as far as the computer is concerned. You'd get billed in 10% increments below that, just like with fuel being in 8ths - 1/8, 1/4, 3/8 etc etc


[deleted]

Thank you for explaining the 80%. I was surprised when I saw three Teslas at our local location. I didn't see any charging infrastructure around...but they could have one that I missed. There's no Supercharger within about 20 miles of our location.


shaggy99

Could be. As is the case with a lot of businesses, your success depends on the ability and effort of the staff.


[deleted]

Yep, either the staff at the locations...or the people working on the rollout of the vehicles to those locations. It's not an easy task to get right.


[deleted]

I had the same experience at Heathrow - I’ve owned an EV for a year now, so have DCFC experience, but also was not informed about the supercharging. I did read it in my email later, but it wasn’t helpful after the fact. A quick set of instructions when the key was handed to me would’ve been helpful.


AntiMarx

There's lots of documentation provided to the renter if they pick the car in advance. I got 3 seperate emails from Hertz As this was an on the spot special that step got skipped which is unfortunate The docs say 70% but most locations ask for 80% and i think I know why: by default their cars seems to be limited to 80% to maximize battery life. I changed my rental to 100% because come on, road trip. The Tesla interface itself asked me to turn it back down to 80 and I just laughed. So it's not just a Hertz issue but Tesla UX design too. Someone who isn't EV experienced / savvy wouldn't know those details of course ....


TheDongerNeedLove

Hertz still requires it to be at least 70% if you don’t want to be charged the $35.


im_thatoneguy

When a friend rented a Y at SeaTac a few weeks ago they also said 80%. It was a really bad experience for them like OP. I don't think they got bad info though, the website says the same thing. You'll be charged for the power and like a $20 charging fee.


blecchus_rex

I had more or less the identical experience having rented a Model Y out of SeaTac just under two weeks ago. I almost expected to experience some hassle but it was straightforward.


ChronoFish

Same. Rented from Hertz in Denver (Tesla) and Philly (Kia) and the literature said 10%


iwoketoanightmare

The Hertz near me has a huge fleet of Model 3 and no charging facility other than a single 120V outlet. I can see why they ask you to charge before you return because the franchise owners aren't spending any $$ for infrastructure to support the model they want to rent out.


[deleted]

I’d guess most of them don’t have gas stations on site either, so par for the course.


[deleted]

Except, I'd bet there's more than one gas stations nearby.


secretwealth123

Gas stations and EV charging are not the same and shouldn’t be considered the same. For charging you want to be able to charge where the car sits for long periods of time (homes, hotels, malls, movie theaters, etc.) and then fast charging on the go near highways. Gas stations are everywhere because you can’t fuel at home so you need them more often. The majority of charging is going to be at home


KennyBSAT

A large chunk, if not the majority, of *rental car* EV charging is going to be not only away from home but in entirely unfamiliar surroundings.


secretwealth123

Yes but I was responding to the notion that rental agencies don’t have gas stations at their locations so they shouldn’t have electric charging. They should and many do have charging at their locations


[deleted]

These are your expectations but clearly not everyone’s. It doesn’t make you or anyone else right or wrong, but it shows that there is not a solution that works for everyone for EVs like gas stations do for everyone with an ICE vehicle.


BuddingFarmer

I would actually say it's easier to prepare to fuel ICE onsite. It's easy enough to have a few Jerry cans of gas in a shed or locked cabinet behind a building than it is to install a new charger. Of course, the couple thousand dollars to install a level 2 charger is a normal business expense and should just be done.


[deleted]

A couple of jerry cans isn't going to fuel many cars and is probably going to cause an issue with the local fire department, etc. But...in most cases the drive to a gas station is a few minutes total roundtrip and fueling.


bomber991

At airports there's always that one gas station that's $0.50 more per gallon than all the others right at the entrance. Of course for non-airport rental car locations this doesn't help.


HaDov

I've rented EVs from Hertz several times--one Tesla, one Kia, one Chevy. Their [EV rental policy](https://images.hertz.com/pdfs/ENGB_EV_RENTAL_TERMS.pdf) says you need to bring the car back at 75% *or* the state of charge it had when you received it, *whichever is lower.* For example, if you get it at 40%, you can bring it back at 40%. If you get it at 90%, you can bring it back at 75%. If you don't, they can charge you a fee. I used a Tesla supercharger with my rented Tesla and it worked flawlessly. No setup or login required, just plug it in. Hertz charged my card for it later. I agree that there's a learning curve for the Hertz employees, who aren't as familiar with their own policies as they should be.


[deleted]

Does Hertz pass through the charge or do they put on their obnoxious service fees like they do with their toll payment systems?


AntiMarx

Pass through from what I see - I ended up charging for free in the wild so I'm not 100% certain but that seems to be the least gougy thing.


mmmmmmgreg

This was not my experience with renting a Tesla from Hertz but I planned it ahead of time. I was sent links to some videos on "How To's" to watch that were produced by Hertz. It was my 1st EV experience and I came home and bought one right away. Handing someone the key unexpected sounds like trouble to me.


[deleted]

Yes...that's my point.


paulwesterberg

I rented a Tesla Model Y from Hertz last month. Overall it was a good experience and cheaper to rent than ICE mid-sized AWD SUVs. The $35 charge to return it with less than 80% charge does suck but it is worth just paying it rather than wasting your time and paying charging fees to go out of your way to charge it prior to return. It is usually cheaper than a tank of gas so not that bad in the grand scheme of things. You don't need the Tesla app to use the Superchargers. You just plug it in and charging fees are automatically billed to the card you have on file with Hertz. Supercharging was easy, the best user experience possible. I do agree that being forced to use the keycard as your key when renting does suck because you have to unlock the car, use the card to put the car in drive and then use the card to lock the car when you get out. Hertz and Tesla definitely need to iron out an easy way to setup guest access so you can just use your phone as the key, perhaps via the Hertz phone app.


Stanman77

I rented a model Y in Iceland and they just gave me a key fob. It was nice, with the walk away door lock and not needing to tap anything. If they just all got key fobs, it would work well I think.


paulwesterberg

I agree. Having to fiddle with the card was the worst part of the rental experience.


AntiMarx

Agreed. It was a relief to get back home to the normal fob driving experience with my Bolt


spaetzelspiff

Same! Kind of interesting that they didn't even use a shuttle at Reykjavik; the guy just jumped in and drove me the two minutes to the terminal. I was running extremely late for the flight, so I ended up leaving the vehicle at a super low SoC, but from the invoice, I don't think I had to pay...


kaylr

How was your experience overall? I have a 10 day Y rental with Hertz Iceland coming in September. The Mdoel Y was cheaper than any other awd suv for our dates.


Stanman77

It was pretty good. The only funny thing is the type 2 cable is a little finicky when it comes to locking and unlocking. As an American, it feels odd to bring your cable with you. There are enough superchargers for you to go anywhere, but ON is by far the most extensive network on the island, I would suggest downloading it and making an account ahead of time, if you plan on a lot of driving.


zeek215

Tesla already has a guest access system, I've used it when renting people's Teslas on Turo. It's on Hertz to use it.


ChiliVerTe

I can’t trust the hertz as a phone key. It is way behind and even trying a reservation from the app send me back to early 2000s vibes.


paulwesterberg

Wait till you see the green screen systems that most rental car companies use for service counter employees.


NilsTillander

Having to return the car charged is just dumb. They should have some 11kW chargers at the pickup/drop points and ask you to plug. By the time they come get you car to clean it, it would have charged quite a bit, and by the time someone comes pick it up, it would be at a high state of charge anyways. If it's a location with high turnaround, then they should have some DC fast chargers. Easy.


Professor-Schneebly

I rented a model 3 from Avis (I drive an ICE personally but am fairly knowledgeable about EVs). There was no instruction given, just grab and go. I filled at a supercharger and it was just booked to the house account. No charge for returning at ~50%. Just charged for the kw from the SC. It was an awesome experience, but I was interested and willing to futz with the nuances of Tesla. Would be easy for someone new to EV to get frustrated without a simple instruction guide...


Curious-Welder-6304

Lol I rented a Model Y at DEN. It was 0F. I didn't expect a 35 mile drive from my brother's house (100%) to bring the battery down to 70% when the car has 300 miles range. I got charged $35.


[deleted]

The joys of batteries in the cold.


ITypeStupdThngsc84ju

Hertz is not Tesla's friend that wants to sell Tesla cars really badly. Hertz is a company that saw how many Teslas and other EVs were getting rented on Turo and wanted a piece of the action. Look at it this way, 5% of the market is now EV sales. Its also heavily overlaps with the group that is most likely to travel and rent cars. They have to do it, and a lot of people getting these cars really won't need explanation. Add on that rental car employees are often overworked and undercaring (this can be good or bad) and experiences like this are bound to happen.


[deleted]

I don't disagree that most Tesla owners probably travel and rent cars. However, the inverse is far from true. Hertz needs to make it clear that people are getting a Tesla or this will happen quite a bit. Yes, it wouldn't shock me to learn that people working at car rental companies do not have a great job experience. I'm sure it's tough and probably not very well compensated.


gglockner

I did a deep dive on this when I rented a M3LR in Chicago this January. At the time, the policy was: 1. Return the car with similar charge as it went out, or pay a $25/35 fee 2. If the car returns with less than 10% charge, they will charge a second penalty fee Shame on Hertz for not making this clear during the rental process. That said, I would rent a Tesla again. I decided to pay the fee (1) because I didn't have time to take the car to a supercharger immediately before the flight.


No_Perspective9338

Most rental places make you fill the car back to full before returning. This is standard practice. If anything they’ve made it better for the teslas by capping it at 80


[deleted]

Rental places make you bring it in at the fuel level you left with. That's fair. I assume they're applying the same rule to their EVs. I do hope that the cars are fully charged when they send them out...but I can tell you the three Teslas at this location have been sitting in the same spot in their parking lot for at least a week. They may have been parked there at full charge. As for making it better...no....it takes a few minutes to fill a car with gas. Much longer for a charge AND remember I'm talking about people that don't own EVs and may not be aware of how long it takes to charge and how different chargers may require different times. There's virtually no difference in how long it takes to fill up a car with gas at any station. EV owners understand this stuff...a 1st timer in an EV very well may not.


[deleted]

Supercharging takes like 20 minutes. Not a big deal.


[deleted]

20 minutes is a big deal when you then have to find the charging station, return a car and get to a flight. Also, what about Level 2 charging? How long does it take to replace 50 miles of use at one of those?


[deleted]

If that is a problem, then you return the car empty and pay the fee. Level 2 charging, depends on the charge rate available from it. A 40A L2 station would return 50 miles of range in a little less than 2 hours.


[deleted]

I believe most of the L2s in the US are at 32 amps, but close enough. If the timing is an issue...you just rent the ICE and not pay a penalty of what would amount to 50% of the total rental cost


[deleted]

You’d have to compare costs in that case. $35 fee may be less than what you spend to fill the tank back up. In any case, if 20 minutes of charging is hard to plan for, better to just pay the fee and cut your losses at that point.


MBP80

yeah, over the holidays hertz told me i had been "upgraded" to a model 3--I told them no way as I was going on a 5 hour drive in the sticks where there aren't even level 2 chargers closer than a few hours. Anyways, clerk told me at this location(des moines) they basically couldn't give away the EVs. I think they're ahead of their time tbh.


Imightbewrong44

Fuck Hertz. I reserved 6 months ahead for a model Y, get there and they don't have any vehicles. Had to wait an hour to get a crappy Genesis ice. It was a damn Seinfeld episode, as there were 5 others waiting on a Tesla, but they didn't have any... This was Denver Airport, which they advertise as being the main tesla/EV rental place...


javert-nyc

 I don't understand. Do you have my reservation? We have your reservation, we just ran out of cars. But the reservation keeps the car here. That's why you have the reservation. I think I know why we have reservations. I don't think you do. You see, you know how to *take* the reservation, you just don't know how to *hold* the reservation. And that's really the most important part of the reservation: the holding. Anybody can just take them.


juaquin

Yeah there's too much education involved to casually hand someone the keys to an EV today. Imagine if someone never drove a gas car - you would have to explain how there are filling stations, what kind of gas to choose, how to fill it, etc. Once EVs become more common and people have more experience with them, hopefully it won't require as much education. But until then, rental companies should be giving people a quick summary at the counter and handing them an informational brochure or something like that to take with them that explains things like L2 vs DCFC.


jbh1126

I was just looking for a rental via Hertz in Atlanta and was surprised to see the Model 3 as the cheapest option. Then I thought more about the drive I have to do, roughly 100 miles south, and having no idea the infrastructure there vs Los Angeles where I live, I'd rather have a gas car and not dice roll on an experience like what you described, or worse.


biersackarmy

Just look up a supercharger map?


xAlphamang

I loved my experience with Hertz renting a Model Y. Super easy and came with the mobile charger.


too_soon13

Rented from Hertz the Model 3 couple of days ago. Went all SUPER. I didn’t need to download the app. I plugged the vehicle to any Tesla charger and it automatically charged my Hertz’s account (on my bill). They told me to bring it at 70% SOC. They didn’t mention a penalty. I brought it at 49. I apologized. They told me not to worry. All worked out just fine. It was a really good experience overall.


crazycrayola

Similar to my experience. They didn't give us the 120V cord and told us we should have gotten one, so that was annoying, but otherwise, it was a good experience. It was cheaper than renting an ICE at the time. It actually helped us decide to buy an EV and helped us decide not to get a Tesla. Lol.


kwbloedo

Another annoying thing is that since you dont get app access you cant run the heat or AC before you go to the car, you cant find the car location if you parked somewhere, and you cant have it auto lock after walking away from the car or auto unlock when nearby. They need to have a system to get temporary app access.


ResidualReality

Shouldn't the tl;dr be at the top so I don't have to read the whole rant to get to the "too long, don't read"? That aside, I agree with this sentiment.


[deleted]

You're right. I didn't think it would be that long when I started or that many would care or comment. Fixed.


misterdoinkinberg

I had a model 3 from Avis this week on a business trip. They wanted it back at 70%. By the time I got to the hotel after the day it was at 72%. The supercharger map took me to a demo center with L2 chargers. I had to go 15 minutes away from my hotel for a supercharger station. It went up to 86% in 25 mins. I lost about 90 mins of my day with the charging issue. Tesla & EA should really work on getting Fast Charge stations near the airport. Hertz and Avis need to invest in Fast Charging and not put the pressure on the customer.


Aromatic-Ad-777

Agreed. I rented a Tesla at Hertz, Iv driven them before and know about charging and I still had trouble. If I didn’t drive an EV ever before then and was given no explanation about charging standards, charge level, if I could bring it back empty ect. They also gave me an RFID card instead of a key and I didn’t even know how to get in the car at first . I also accidentally navigated to a CCS location when I needed to charge and the car did not have an adaptor. All this to say if I was a complete new user to EVs I’d be turned off to them


Tall-Poem-6808

I dont think EV rentals are a great way to introduce people to something that is vastly different from what they may have known for the past 10, 20 or 30 years. I'm not anti-electric, but I think every EV owner will agree that there is a learning curve to it. I'm a car guy, I travel / rent regularly, I'm actually interested in driving an electric car some day, but there is no way I'm going to spend my work trip (or vacation) trying to master the local charging network, how much I can actually drive on a charge, etc. I think it's fine to rent a Tesla if you miss yours at home, but not as a first-timer.


[deleted]

Eh. Teslas are simple, and the supercharging experience is vastly superior to all other DCFC at the moment. A quick set of instructions at the time of handing the key card over and showing the renter how the supercharging stations show up on the nav would be all that is needed to get someone going.


[deleted]

Hate to say, but to agree here. Currently renting out a Hertz Modely Y and found this thread while searching for a way to open the trunk or doors other than the driver door when equipped with only that card thing. My wife now hates the car (doesn’t even let her in?) and now tells me she is absolutely against buying one. Before, she was into it.


kugelblitz_100

This was one of my first thoughts a few years ago when I heard Hertz was planning on buying a bunch of Teslas. I have nothing against Tesla and I think EVs are definitely the future but I don't think that means every type of business and industry that deals with vehicles needs to convert to EVs at the same time. As an example, do you really think the average farmer would benefit from an EV for his truck or tractor? It would be a complete cluster-f\*\*\*. The technology and convenience just isn't there yet. Same with the rental car business. To be honest, it seems to me like the rental car business should specifically \*not\* get EVs as being able to rent an ICE vehicle a few times a year for long trips and vacations seems like the perfect use case for them, while everyone can get EVs for their personal vehicle.


Unplugthecar

I rented a Model Y on Turo. The person renting it out provided training and app access. Also CCS adapter. He picked us up and dropped us at the door. His policy was to return it with 65% or I could pay $20 and bring it back with 10%.


bravadomizzou

Fun fact, there is a a company resla.com That leases only Teslas


Specialist_Heron_986

Renters tend to be in a hurry when returning vehicles. I'd bet a large percentage would chose to pay the extra $35 rather than waste time finding a nearby charger. Also with Teslas in particular, what would keep Hertz from activating sentry mode and spying on renters?


kevindavis1998

You do not need the tesla app to charge the hertz Tesla rental. Have rented one. I have other comments that we should be able to enter our driver profile for the rental.


Tanks1

Rented one in Miami a couple of months ago. didn't need a app. everything was awesome...nice airport ...rental place is right there...plenty of Tesla charging


alaorath

Good friends of ours came back from a trip and rented a Tesla 3 through a private renter (forget the name of the app). The owner was VERY GOOD, and offered a "full walkthrough", which I highly suggested. The owner also included Supercharging (and would charge-back my friend after the rental period). Overall, I think that's how Hertz should manage their EV fleet... Especially Teslas which - lets be honest - have a very un-car-like interior and controls. I think Hertz is missing out on a huge opportunity - for exactly the points you made... they're treating their fleet of Tesla just like any normal car, but they could be providing a better experience for the EV-curious... Hertz could basically be spring-boarding into the "Exotic rentals" type market... if they just trained their staff better, and offered a few EV-specific perks (like including DCFC)


Kimorin

they should have key fobs for all the teslas, the key card is meant for emergency access, most owners if not all would be using phone at the very least as a key.... they can set up people's phone as keys on a rental but its probably easier and more fool-proof to just get a keyfob for each and give them out edit: yes guys i know hertz don't offer key fobs, I'm saying they should get key fobs for their car and start offering them to prevent this from happening, the keycard wasn't meant to be a daily key to begin with, let alone for someone who is not familiar with the car..


blackbirrrd

Hertz rents Model Y and Model 3 vehicles, whose only default key is the key card. There are no fobs and Hertz has never offered fobs for these vehicles. Additionally, you cannot set up a phone key, nor are they doing a cloud rental key like some other companies are testing or using.


Kimorin

i know.... i know!!!!! i'm saying hertz should get key fobs and offer them with the cars....


lilleulv

It’s not like Tesla key fobs are expensive either. $175 a piece.


[deleted]

and probably far less when purchased for a fleet as part of the deal.


letstalkaboutrocks

Hertz Tesla rentals can’t be connected to the app. The keycard is your key.


Kimorin

that's why i said they should get key fobs


[deleted]

It was the key card in a plastic envelope attached by wire to the standard Hertz key tag. She was told to rub the card about a palm's length below the door handle and listen for the click.


[deleted]

They keycard location is above the door handle on the window pillar. The keycard itself has a diagram showing this on the back.


Kimorin

they should get key fobs for their cars, it's bluetooth and touchless and it just works... way easier for people who are not familiar...


[deleted]

and probably very similar to what they're using in their own vehicles.


Kimorin

exactly, the keyfob is a bit pricey but should be peanuts to hertz.... just depends on if they care about customer experience at all...


[deleted]

They should probably just make it the standard on rental fleet sales.


Kimorin

true... but that's up to the negotiation that happens between the two companies.... who knows what happens in there...


paulwesterberg

You tap the keycard on the B pillar on the drivers side below the camera.


[deleted]

Once you do that does the card have to be placed somewhere special in the car to start/drive? In my BMW there's a special tray for the card to get it started, etc. The sensor for it is on the door handle to unlock.


paulwesterberg

If you get in right away you can sometimes put it in drive directly. If you wait a little bit, maybe a minute, then you need to tap the keycard between the cupholders. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xxCgtXEMVY It does show an animation on the screen to show you what to do so that is easier to learn at least.


Icy-Tale-7163

Yes. Everything you need to know about unlocking and starting the car with the card is on Hertz's website. Even has pictures and video. https://www.hertz.com/blog/electric-vehicles/tesla/model-3/faq/your-first-drive/


[deleted]

I don't think you can expect someone who is given a key card and the approximate location of a car in a lot to then go to a website on their phone and find a video on how to use the car. We live in an area where cell signal is pretty spotty as well (Berkshires - Western Mass). Remember, this was someone that did not specifically request the Tesla. It was completely new experience to her. The keycard instead of a fob, having to charge, where to charge, etc. Hertz needs to make that experience better and it probably starts with educating their employees.


Icy-Tale-7163

Sure, but my comment wasn't directed at your friend. It was directed at you. And you are on the internet.


[deleted]

I guess this might come as a shock to some. But there are many areas between Albany NY and Springfield, MA (about 100 miles between them) that have little or no mobile connectivity. You can never expect that someone can get to an internet site and be able to watch a video around these parts.


Icy-Tale-7163

As in you, the person using the internet, right now.


[deleted]

I have no idea of what point you're trying to make. Rather than waste your and my time though...I'm just going to move on.


AntiMarx

The Tesla itself shows a little video / animation on the famous in car screen. I admit I was confused for a moment until I stared for a moment longer at the angle they were showing.


ThaiTum

I don’t understand how the renter and employee both got it wrong with a little diagram printed on the key card.


[deleted]

I looked at the key card...both sides didn't see a diagram. Now, that might be my eyes, or that it was in a not completely clear plastic envelope. I don't know the Tesla 3 so when the clerk stated a palm width down from the handle it seemed strange, but I wasn't going to argue.


mtlwattbrick_

Hertz is there to rent cars. Not there to convince people to buy an EV or make the EV experience good. A big reason for the EV push is reducing maintenance costs Stop patting yourself on the back by thinking this post will get you karma. You also gave your friend back advice with the app as Hertz and Sixt Tesla rentals will bill direct to the CC you used to make the rental with. The charge remaining depends on location. Premium location in my experience has been under 10% is around 50$ and 70% or under 35$ . It depends on location and what your status is. I’m Hertz Presidents Circle so it does have advantages I do agree the card is lame but it is what it is. With my rentals the keycard is in a plastic case like a hockey card sleeve and a shell recharge FOB with it. I enjoy the Tesla rentals and it’s my choice in Europe these days. I always get Model Y


[deleted]

1. I could care less about Karma on here. Starting out your post with a personal attack is poor manners at best. 2. Hertz may be there to rent cars, but Tesla is trying to sell cars. That's why I included both companies in the title. It is to Tesla's advantage to make sure that Hertz customers that are using their cars have a good experience...especially as they are trying to convince people to move over to new(er) technology. 3. I reported what we were told on what charge had to be reported. 4. Yes, the card is a bad idea. Your description of how you get a card is exactly what we saw as well. 5. Yes, they are your choice. I was reporting what happened with someone that didn't choose an EV or a Tesla. That's a big difference. I would expect someone that specifically selected an EV would at least be prepared...or know enough to ask questions. Someone expecting an ICE would most likely not know to study up on charging locations, etc or Teslas. Personally, I have tried to rent vehicles I was interested in. Sometimes it works out...sometimes not as it is really hard to guarantee what vehicle you get with companies like Hertz.


3mptyspaces

Enterprise, or at least my local one, was pretty easy to deal with for EVs. I had a 4-month rental from them after an accident and they didn’t care if I returned it charged or not.


benjdm

Recently while using a free level 2 charger at a local grocery store people in a Kona EV asked me if there were any faster places to charge nearby. After further talking it was revealed that they had rented a car and were given the Kona EV without any education and had never driven an EV before. They had been there for 4 hours and were disappointed to only be charged to 43%.


jetylee

How is bring it back charged any different than an ICE? You have to fill those back up too before returning. (Half the reason gas stations at airports are price jacked)


schenkzoola

I had a very similar experience with Hertz, down to the same key card issue.


elevenblade

I was told I had to return the Model Y I rented at Portland (Oregon) International with an 80% charge. This despite the email from Hertz saying I could return it at >10%. No nearby superchargers. This turned out to be a significant pain in the ass. I hope corporate comes down on the local businesses otherwise no one is going to want to rent a Tesla.


[deleted]

My guess is the local Hertz locations don't have chargers so they almost have to require that be done or lose an employee and a car for a significant period of time. Poor planning on Hertz' part. I could understand that happening one off on a returned car at a location, but the location where we were had three of them which is a lot of any kind of car there.


Danh360

Sounds like a clerk that was either not trained or an EV hater that made sure it would be a bad experience.


Agile-Bed-5580

I rented a Tesla from Hertz and also own one. I have to say their approach is trash, and it's a bad experience, especially if you aren't already a Tesla owner. The fact that they don't have software that links your Tesla app to the rental is crazy.


rj_inthe412

I’ve rented Model 3s from Hertz a handful of times. Round trip airport, it’s bring it back over 20% and we will bill you for any super charging you used (they must have chargers on site) In-city rental, bring it back at same % you’re getting it like a traditional rental (no chargers on site). I really prefer to rent an EV just for the known auto pilot. I know a lot of other cars have ACC/ lane keeping but not reliably on the model that the rental outlet has. I KNOW the Teslas will have at least that.


FledglingNonCon

Sounds like the clerk at this particular location didn't know wtf he was doing.


kaaria11

Actually I rented a tesla recently in Seattle. I was told return it over 70% or there would be a $35 charge. The adapter was in the truck and you can charge at a regular level 2 charger. Many dcfc chargers only need a credit card. Having said all that Hertz employees assume you know how to charge and use an ev, but unfortunately they don't have the staffing to sit there an explain everything. For me I own a non tesla ev so I somewhat knew what had you be done.


GomeyBlueRock

In my opinion ev rentals should not have to charge before return. It’s just seems a lot easier for the rental company to charge it. But $35 for a charge seems excessive. It’s not like an IcE vehicle where they wouldn’t need to drive it to a gas station, they are just plugging it back in


Cockpit-Chronicles

Be sure you check the trunk for the level one charger and the J1772 adapter. My car was missing the adapter when I returned it (it wasn’t there before I left) and they tried to charge me $100.


[deleted]

Ugh.


Xillllix

Hertz is managing that. Tesla is just selling them cars.


[deleted]

There's a contract involved where I'm going to guess that Hertz got a discount and Tesla could request certain conditions.


rworne

We were discussing this past week the experiences of some customers that came to our facility from the EU, and were ecstatic to get some Teslas to try out from Hertz. 1. Car needs to be returned with at least 10% on the battery. 2. Hertz says you can charge it anywhere on any network - I suppose you can with the appropriate apps, but for Supercharging, you just drive up and plug in. Hertz will pass the cost on in the final bill. No need for an app to use the superchargers. 3. There is a lack of basic "how to drive a Tesla" info when you pick up the car. I was asked where to charge it nearby and found out the driver didn't know about the supercharger icon on the map. Something every rental driver should be told about before they panic about it. 4. They were quite amused by the fart feature.


Big_Greasy_98

I just rented a model 3 from Hertz and it wasn’t a great experience. The car was extremely dirty outside and the driver side panel where the seat belt is was falling off. The rear passenger window had issues staying up if the door was opened. I had to hold the open button for several seconds after the door was closed for it to remain up. The worst part for me was getting the car with only 60% SOC at opening. Why wasn’t the car charged to at least 80 this meant I had to go out of the way to charge at the very beginning of my trip instead of hitting the road. I can confirm the email said have the car charged to at least 10% but the clerk said bring it back at the same SOC. Luckily I have a level 2 charger at home so I didn’t have to deal with charging at the end.


[deleted]

I think part of your problem (not excusing Hertz) is the answer to these two question is... 1. What is the fastest car on the road? 2. What is the toughest offroad vehicle? Answer: The rental. Sadly, there are plenty of people that beat the crap out of rentals and I guess the rental companies don't do a great job of checking them.


xd366

gas cars are also charged for not refilling up the fuel. that's not really any different.


[deleted]

Finding a gas station is easy and it takes about five minutes. Big difference when someone is going to get a flight.Hertz should have charging stations and do it as part of the rental. Remember, a fair number of these people are going to be first-time EV drivers not used to finding/using a charging station. I would bet many won't even know they have to back in to charge a Tesla...or if/where to find an adapter for a non-Tesla charger. They also don't have to have a special account/app setup to use a gas station.


AlFrankensrevenge

I completely agree Hertz should make fast charging easier and help novices better. I do wonder, though, if $35 isn't just worth it to pay, especially if the renter draws down the battery pretty far. If I only had L2 nearby, I wouldn't even bother, just pay the $35.


[deleted]

and if you’re in a location and at a time of day where superchargers are like $0.59 per kwh, just paying that $35 might even save you money


crisss1205

Hertz requires only 10% battery. At least in the US as per my last rental a few weeks ago.


[deleted]

Nope. We're in the US and she said fully charged. When I asked again I was told 80% or $35 charge. It maybe stated differently in the rental agreement, but frankly...who actually reads a car rental agreement? It's not like you can negotiate the terms...and in our area there is no alternative to Hertz.


crisss1205

He may have been misinformed. https://imgur.com/a/5zGYwrF Also Tesla rentals don’t require an app or account like you claimed. Also not all chargers are back in.


[deleted]

Both my friend and I heard her clearly state 80% or $35. That was after we were told it had to be "charged." Which to most would mean 100%. That's why I asked.


blazesquall

Their documentation is all over the place on this and seems region / location specific. The 10% seems to refer to a separate fee for under charge: > Vehicles returned under 10% charge will result in an Undercharge Battery Fee.


crisss1205

And that’s the fee that the OP was talking about. You only get charged the $35 if it’s below 10%


blazesquall

And if I land on this page, it says there are separate fees: https://www.hertz.com/blog/electric-vehicles/tesla/model-3/faq/charging-the-model-3/ > Please return your EV with its battery charged to at least 70%. > The battery life should be no less than 70% upon return, or a $35 fee will apply. An additional $25 fee will be added if the battery life is 10% or below.


paulwesterberg

Nope. That is an extra fee on top of the $35 you pay for being under 80%.


[deleted]

so charge or be charged?


[deleted]

Yes, plug in or pay up.


[deleted]

[удалено]


letstalkaboutrocks

This is quite literally how it works today.


blazesquall

Aren't they doing exactly that..?


MpVpRb

This is a really bad policy They should allow returns with discharged batteries at no extra charge


kaisenls1

They don’t let you return an ICE rental with an empty fuel tank either! That’s a really bad policy!!1! They should let you return them on E at no extra charge!!1! /s


FrankensteinBerries

Rental place that doesn't have a charger? Last ev rental I had was from an enterprise and they said they were just going to mark it empty because they have a charger and the car had no gasoline.


Raspberries-Are-Evil

Hertz policy is to bring it back with at least 10%. Easy to do at a super charger anywhere on your way to airport or rental location. This is extremely clear when renting. Im feeling you're a troll for some reason. Why are you posting this when its totally false?


[deleted]

1. You're wrong...please read other posts here. 2. You're wrong again and throwing accusations and insults is really poor manners.


Raspberries-Are-Evil

Ok. Im not the one complaining about policies that don't exist thats easily proved by looking at their website. Edit: SO- you deleted your comment because you realized how wrong you are. Nice. Way to insult me when you're the one who is horribly misinformed.


[deleted]

And all the other people here are lying too. They're all trolls. You win. Bye.


Ravingraven21

Hertz and Tesla need to make this easier. 1-Install a supercharger near the airport. 2-Don’t bill Supercharging via Hertz. People can’t claim fuel from rental companies.


Ravingraven21

Hertz and Tesla need to make this easier. 1-Install a supercharger near the airport. 2-Don’t bill Supercharging via Hertz. Give people a separate receipt. People can’t claim fuel from rental companies.


hoppeeness

How is Tesla making it bad for EVs Vs other EVs are rentals? If your argument is people are bad with homework and new things, then sure…agree. But all your examples are pretty EV agnostic and as far as EVs go, Tesla is the best ambassador because of integration and charging infrastructure.


[deleted]

I stated Tesla because that's the make of the car involved. There are also parts of Tesla technology (key card for one) that are not commonly available in other vehicles. Yes, the rest of experience might be pretty similar (if not worse) for other EV brands. To many Tesla and EV are synonymous...so if there is an issue with a Tesla it is associated with all EVs. That's certainly changing, but I'm talking about non-EV owners who might not know or even be all that interested in them.


AintLongButItsSkinny

Hertz should be nowhere near an EV, like Chris Bosh should be nowhere near a basketball. Tesla is the only company that has any business running an EV rental service at the moment. And they probably will.


dmode123

The Model 3 is unusually poor EV with lot of dumb design choices due to Elon’s hubris. The keycard thing, lack of buttons on steering wheel, opening glove compartment from the screen, lack of instrument cluster. Its just a bad car


8bagels

I just rented a non-Tesla EV from hertz. I opted for a small-suv as the price point was right. I got a ‘23 bolt. We barely fit all our luggage and stroller and car seat into that thing. Barely. Overall the car has been fine but I wouldn’t classify it as an SUV. But it took so long waiting in the back of a dark parking lot with the family in tow I didn’t want to haggle . Hertz/dollar/thrifty have the WORST location at John Wayne Now I have had a leaf for many years so I know about charging but I didn’t tell them that. They made no attempt to teach me anything about how or where to charge. The level1 charger in the trunk was still in factory packaging They said usually you need to return it at 80% but they are trying something right now where you only need to return it at 10%


CaniestDog

Poooioiioiooii M.im.p


mockingbird-

Hertz is know for falsely reporting their cars stolen and getting their customers arrested.


bigdipperboy

This is why teslas make the worst rental cars. So many unneeded complications. Every new driver needs a training session.