Hertz recently sent Tesla’s market value over 1 trillion dollars after the car rental company ordered 100,000 Tesla electric vehicles. Hertz’s goal is to eventually make 20% of its fleet EVs and they’re slowly rolling out Teslas as a rental option mainly in California, Texas, and at airports in major US and European cities.
Here’s how you can rent a Tesla from Hertz and everything you need to know about the process.
Finding A Tesla
The easiest way to book a Tesla is through the Hertz app where you might snag some discounts not available on their desktop site. Either way, you’ll see that Hertz’s online portal is a bit ahead of its Tesla rollout. See, Tesla is a vehicle option at many locations but in reality they’re currently limited to select cities mainly at airport locations. There are also some restrictions to know about before renting – you can’t rent and drop off at separate locations – and self-driving is disabled, in case you were hoping to test that feature out. (Though autopilot is enabled.)
Otherwise the process is much like renting any other type of car. Pick your dates, choose the Tesla (currently they’re all rear wheel drive Model 3s with the standard range of about 260 miles), and select your pick up location.
Car Pick Up
Most of the locations with Teslas have chargers on site so you should get a car that’s 80-100% charged. Keep in mind though if you’ve never driven a Tesla to read up on the several emails Hertz will send you describing how to unlock the doors, start the car, and put it back into park. It sounds straightforward but the Tesla experience is very different than most gas powered vehicles so arrive prepared. Nobody at Hertz will give you a tour or demonstration unless you ask so be prepared if it’s your first time to take a few minutes in the parking lot to get a good feel for the car.
All of your controls, wipers, heating, everything is managed through the Model 3’s large central touchscreen. Get familiar with it before hitting the road so you’re not searching to turn on the air conditioning when you should be watching the road.
Costs And Drop Off
For some reason when I booked a Tesla, I got it for a rate of $72 ($91 total with fees and taxes). I was told by the clerk I must have had some good luck on my side because the going rate to rent a Model 3 is about $170-200. You’ll have to include the cost to charge the car, which can run about $6-8; meaning it should be a lot less expensive than gas to refuel.
Hertz’s is planning to add superchargers to many of their local locations as they expand the Tesla rental option and you should start seeing Model 3s at many more locations. Overall, a good way to experience driving a Tesla while reducing your emissions, although you will pay a premium for it.
