Hertz backpedals on rush into EV rentals: CEO says repair costs can run “twice as high”

Hertz

By Jo Nova

Hertz was aiming to make 25% of its fleet electric by 2024, but is finding 11% is too much. Given there are whole nations pushing for 100% EV by 2035 there seems to be a message here…

Let’s thank Hertz for doing that experiment for us. It turns out EV’s didn’t work well in the high mileage Uber-type system because the drivers “drove them into the ground” and repair costs were much higher than expected. So Hertz moved some EV’s to the leisure hire department, but then the revenue per day in the leisure sector fell. Presumably people didn’t want to hire them.

It’s not that this is Bad News week for EVs — it’s quarterly reporting week, so companies have to tell investors things they’d rather not.

Great nations don’t force citizens to buy heavier cars with shorter ranges and bigger repair bills in order to stop bad weather one hundred years from now.

Hertz is slowing down the roll out of EVs onto its fleets as the CEO cites higher than expected repair costs and price cuts.

The rental car company reported lower than expected margins in the third quarter of this year, citing EV repairs as one of the challenges.

“Collision and damage repairs on an EV can often run about twice that associated with a comparable combustion engine vehicle,” said Mr Scherr.

Hertz logo

It all started out so well:

Andrew J Hawkins, The Verge

Rental car company Hertz once envisioned itself as the ultimate EV broker, doling out battery-powered vehicles to business travelers, ridehail drivers, and tech newbies in an ambitious plan to grease the wheels for the EV revolution. The company inked agreements with Tesla and Polestar to buy nearly 200,000 EVs. Tesla’s valuation topped $1 trillion on the news.

Part of the problem is linked to Hertz’s plans to rent EVs to ridehail drivers. Of the 100,000 Tesla acquired by Hertz, half were to be allocated to Uber drivers as part of a deal with the ridehail company. And drivers said they loved the Teslas! But Uber drivers also tend to drive their vehicles into the ground. This higher rate of utilization can lead to a lot of damage — certainly more than Hertz was anticipating.

Lora Kolodny,  CNBC

Musk frequently says that electric cars require less maintenance than counterparts with internal combustion engines (including plug-in hybrid electrics). …

But electric vehicle owners can face unique maintenance needs, as well. Nikhil Naikal, CEO of Kinetic, a startup that is not affiliated with Hertz or Tesla but provides repairs for electric and autonomous vehicles, told CNBC on Thursday:

“The reality of electric vehicles is that they can be 1,000 pounds heavier or more than gas vehicles, and they move faster, with higher torque. Since they’re extremely zippy and heavier, it’s just physics — the ability to overcome inertia so quickly is going to effect their suspension systems, the brakes and steering columns. It’s counter-intuitive, but even with fewer moving parts they are susceptible to requiring more maintenance. They especially require tire-swapping, because the tires wear out more quickly from that high torque and weight.

h/t Brenda, Stanley and Yarpos.

Photo: NZ archives Christchurch

 

10 out of 10 based on 98 ratings

86 comments to Hertz backpedals on rush into EV rentals: CEO says repair costs can run “twice as high”

  • #
    Ian Rogers

    My brother used to think that Hertz Van Rental was a Dutch painter.

    610

  • #
    Peter C

    High tyre wear! Yes that makes sense.
    But Brakes? I thought that regenerative braking was the big idea.
    Is there anything that EVs do better than ICEs?

    420

    • #
      Graeme No.3

      Can I say that the wheels have fallen off the EV revolution?

      360

    • #
      ColA

      You could say it’s when the rubber hits the road but for Hertz

      actually, it’s when the money leaves the pocket!!

      250

    • #
      RickWill

      Is there anything that EVs do better than ICEs?

      They provide much more exciting fires. Usually explosive and never controlled until flooded in water for a few days.

      50

    • #
      Iain Reid

      Hello Peter,

      regenerative braking is something I have been thinking about.
      Loading a generator, which is basically what is happening, has the braking effect proportional to the load applied.
      As batteries tend to have low internal resistance, to get a high braking effect means putting a lot of current into the battery, again generalising, this is detrimental to battery life. I’m sure all the power electronics control this but does that mean that this ‘benefit’ of electric cars has been over stated?
      I understand motors and generators but evs are not something I have any technical experience of.
      Incidentally if you drive an ice car the old fashioned way and use gears to slow down rather than brakes, this saves fuel as you are using some of the kinetic energy of the car’s motion.

      20

    • #
      Gerry, England

      In Germany the TUV testing group found that brakes failed to pass their regular test because they were not strong enough due to lack of use. The regenerative braking had reduced their use so much.

      The only plus point of a battery car is the instant torque but it is totally swamped by the minus points. Geoff Buys Cars has just done a John O’Groats to Lands End challenge with a used diesel BMW vs a Porsche Taycan. Watch the 2 episodes on Youtube and enjoy the conclusion.

      50

    • #
      Hanrahan

      I use my brakes more on my hybrid than I ever did before because regen does not retard as much as compression braking. In an EV it would depend on driving style.

      00

  • #

    I will be hiring a car in Austria next month.

    Firstly I would have no idea where to charge it. Secondly it seems extremely dangerous to send someone out into a cold country and up mountain passes in a car where if things get tight, I would have to cut back on heating, the lights, windscreen wipers and all the other essentials in order to conserve power in some cold out of the way place.

    I would certainly refuse a hire EV at the airport if it were offered to me

    540

  • #
    Neville

    EVs are like TOXIC W & S because they stuff up the car game the same way that W & S stuff up the Grid and quickly send the cost of energy to another level.
    EVs are also UNRELIABLE and dangerous and the value for money is a sick joke.
    I agree with Matt Ridley and if these TOXIC EV disasters ever come close to gaining acceptance I’ll purchase a very good ICE car to service my future needs.

    260

    • #
      Hasbeen

      You might have to buy a much older model Neville. I can still get, or make, anything I need to keep my 1980 model Triumph on the road. Not so with my 2014 car. The manufacturer stopped supplying a number of the electronic tricky bits a while back. Used parts are getting much harder to find too. I had to source a bit of electronics for a Japanese car from the USA recently. Cost a kings ransom.

      120

  • #
    Yarpos

    Reality is relentless and the EV tide does seem to be turning and some parts of the msm even report on it gently. Still there are plenty of look squirrel! EV stories to report on. Yesterday I was looking at a story on how the ever imminent Cybertruck stainless steel panels are bullet proof ( to pistol calibers at least)

    There are many kinds of pistol ammunition so this doesnt say much, but did get them another round of publicity. Maybe they are looking for police sales in Chicago, Baltimore etc.

    150

    • #
      Ronin

      Possibly .22 calibre, 4 tonnes of junk that looks like a 12yo school kid penned it.

      90

      • #
        Mike Borgelt

        You may be surprised at the Cybertruck’s aesthetic acceptability. When it was announced we had two sister’s in law staying with us. My wife and her sisters all thought it looked cute and looked like a Mars rover.
        I predict lots of chicks will buy it.

        42

  • #
    Penguinite

    Hertz et al (think leasing) also had a lucrative second-hand market but that too has run out of, I was going to say steam but that would be incongruous, so I’ll say power. If it weren’t for the financial benefits, in the form of tax concessions, commercial EVs would not have seen daylight! That goes for solar and wind power too! But I not that Dick Chalmers Special Agent will press on with an enforced switch to compel EV take-up!

    210

    • #
      John Galt III

      I work for well known rental car company at a mid sized airport in the U.S. There was one electric car there all Summer but no one wanted it. Then again we are in the Northern Rockies and we don’t have many charging stations. Hybrids do fine by contrast.

      “Lucrative Second Hand Market” – My advice is don’t buy a used car from any Rental Company. We do NOT take care of these cars. I was taking cars in 5,000 and 10,000 miles past their recommended oil change date. So 15,000 miles with no oil change? That is not good for any engine at all. We run the tires down sometimes so there is not much tread left. The whole game is to get the car cleaned after its being rented, gas it up and rent it again in 24 hours or less. Everything else is secondary.

      Recommendation: Get a car with the fewest miles and check the tires carefully. Must have a tread depth of at least 7 mm or 8/32″ – you lose 10 feet stopping distance every 1mm reduction after that.

      120

  • #
    TIP

    also – the capital city airport i do work at, have instructed the onsite rental fleets – No more fast chargers to be installed, the local grid cant support anymore.

    Dont let that give you the impression they have lots of them….the brands i work directly for, they have less than 6 each.

    180

  • #
    Ronin

    “The reality of electric vehicles is that they can be 1,000 pounds heavier or more than gas vehicles, and they move faster, with higher torque. Since they’re extremely zippy and heavier, it’s just physics — the ability to overcome inertia so quickly is going to affect their suspension systems, the brakes and steering columns. It’s counter-intuitive, but even with fewer moving parts they are susceptible to requiring more maintenance. They especially require tire-swapping, because the tires wear out more quickly from that high torque and weight.”

    It seems EVs are their own worst enemy, drivers are more likely to clip kerbs and islands, damaging and bending stuff.

    150

    • #
      Raving

      Speed bumps for the urban warrior. Always thought a Humvee would be great for city driving.

      Speed bumps must do quite the tune on EVs

      30

  • #
    CO2 Lover

    Becuase tires wear out faster more tire dust (Microplastic) is produced than a similar ICE vehicle.

    EVs are not zero emission vehicles – they are an environmental disaster from manufacturing, use and then disposal of the old batteries.

    270

  • #
    another ian

    “The Arc Of The Renewables Universe Is Long, But It Bends Toward Bankruptcy”

    https://www.smalldeadanimals.com/2023/11/01/the-arc-of-the-renewables-universe-is-long-but-it-bends-toward-bankruptcy/

    I guess that could be hinted at with EVs too?

    120

  • #
    • #
      David Maddison

      Interesting.

      11

    • #
      Graeme#4

      Why would you ever consider putting a boat into the water using a EV or hybrid?

      30

      • #
        paul courtney

        Mr. 4: The likely explanation is that they were simply dazzled by all the wonders of the EV, and for some strange reason they couldn’t find any negative information, like “don’t let your EV get wet”. Hard not to notice that any negative EV article at the several sites I visit draws these troll enthusiasts who try to deflect and obfuscate.

        00

    • #
      Philip

      good video I subscribed to that channel

      00

  • #
    CO2 Lover

    The Australian Goverment gives the wealthy and woke a $3000 subbsidy to buy Teslas.

    Time this subsidy was removed to lower petrol excise tax.

    320

  • #
    David Maddison

    The thinking community is well aware of the fact that EVs are, -to use a favourite buzzword of the Left-, unsustainable.

    So what is the real agenda?

    The Elites of the Left want to ban cars altogether along with all other personal freedoms and right to own property (for non-Elites).

    They just don’t want to say it yet. So they instruct their slave army of useful idiots to propagandise that all will be fine and dandy with EVs and the more wealthy and woke ones even buy them as virtue signaling devices.

    The true agenda is to have you live as serfs/slaves in Medieval-style villages called “15 Minute Cities” where “you will own nothing and be happy” and will work as a serf/slave in a menial capacity as a subsistence farmer raising insects and grain for your personal consumption.

    They don’t deny this.

    It’s just conservatives and fellow rational thinkers aren’t listening.

    https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/02/how-insects-positively-impact-climate-change/

    https://web.archive.org/web/20161125135500/https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/11/shopping-i-can-t-really-remember-what-that-is

    Welcome to the year 2030. Welcome to my city – or should I say, “our city”. I don’t own anything. I don’t own a car. I don’t own a house. I don’t own any appliances or any clothes.

    It might seem odd to you, but it makes perfect sense for us in this city. Everything you considered a product, has now become a service. We have access to transportation, accommodation, food and all the things we need in our daily lives. One by one all these things became free, so it ended up not making sense for us to own much.

    https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/03/15-minute-city-stickiness/

    https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/12/goodbye-car-ownership-hello-clean-air-this-is-the-future-of-transport/

    Conservatives and fellow rational thinkers just want to be left alone to peacefully persue their personal life goals.

    Leftists on the other hand (the Elites aided by their slave army of useful idiots) are absolutely ruthless in the pursuit of their collective objectives and are prepared to, and do use any and all means to achieve them, including lies, deceipt, violence and murder.

    It’s about time conservatives woke up.

    271

    • #
      Penguinite

      We all assumed “Lease to buy” was a good thing because we could simply upgrade to the latest technology almost on a whim but as the true plan and effect of leasing everything, including household requirements, simply becomes a line of revolving credit that never gets repaid.

      110

      • #
        Philip

        Mortgages are heading towards the same concept – revolving credit that never gets paid – permanent rental basically. I think Canada has introduced 50 year loans.

        10

  • #
    Old Goat

    I notice in the “uber” link that the cars get a dollar per trip extra just for driving a tesla. If you remove all subsidies and incentives EV’s are expensive virtue signaling toys .

    170

  • #
    CO2 Lover

    I have a 10 year old Toyota Yaris and the current market value is the same as what I paid 10 years ago.

    No EV will ever be able to match such retained value.

    Who in their right mind would buy an EV afterthe battery warranty has expried after 8 years???

    140

  • #
  • #
    STJOHNOHGRAFTON

    To be read out loud at Parliament House:

    Great nations don’t force citizens to buy heavier cars with shorter ranges and bigger repair bills in order to stop bad weather one hundred years from now.

    222

  • #
    Penguinite

    Not a good day for the EV world!

    https://principia-scientific.com/inflated-ev-assessments-deflate-production-incentives/

    The old adage must be ringing in their ears “it never rains but it pours”

    60

  • #
    Honk R Smith

    It is interesting that the person that made EVs standard fare, calls ‘woke’ a “mind virus” bringing about “the end of civilization”.
    Calling them “extinctionists” a “death cult”.

    On Joe Rogan …
    https://www.bitchute.com/video/R2Vr1kDXsNTQ/
    (Alex John’s face appears for the first second, don’t panic … the short clip of Elon follows.)

    The Woke and the Climate Alarmists are one, and anti-human.
    Finally someone people will listen to, is saying what those of us here have understood for a long while.

    70

    • #
      David Maddison

      And see Gad Saad’s recent comment, under 2 mins.

      https://youtu.be/aYolXVwRWZ4

      51

      • #
        Penguinite

        The Romans may have beat us to this inglorious end! Not to mention the Maya and Aztec civilizations!

        70

    • #
      David Maddison

      It is not clear that Western Civilisation can survive the present crisis.

      The Left have never been more powerful and are now showing their true colours, mostly blood red!

      The one chance the West had to save its civilisation was Donald Trump and look how they are relentlessly attacking him. They may even choose to “JFK” him.

      Trump is the one man standing between freedom and global dictatorship. If he is not allowed to have an honest election to get elected US President, I’m afraid that’s the end.

      241

  • #
    David Maddison

    We have people in power right now that are very detrimental to our survival as a species, as humanity overall. As unpleasant as that is, it is much better we are aware of it than ignoring it. Ignorance is not bliss in this case.

    181

    • #
      David Maddison

      That was a response to Honk and a copy of what was written at the bottom of the video he posted.

      It was not intended as a fresh comment thread.

      51

  • #
    David Maddison

    The Hydraulic Press Channel has huge fun squashing things in their hydraulic presses.

    It was recently the turn of lithium ion batteries….

    https://youtu.be/t1j9TUV5coc

    31

  • #
    Simon

    Renting out cars to Uber drivers is not a smart business model, they do far more driving than the average driver.
    Comparing EVs with ICEs:
    – Tyre wear is higher because EVs are heavier
    – Brake wear is much lower because the generator does the braking (if you drive an EV as it’s meant to be driven),
    – Maintenance is much lower because there motors are much less than engines and there are less moving parts,
    – Car damage repairs are higher because the supply chains aren’t there yet,
    – Running costs are much lower, electricity is cheaper than petrol.

    418

    • #
      Russell

      “Car damage repairs are higher because the supply chains aren’t there yet”
      Rot – repair cost are higher because they have to right-off so many EVs batteries involved in minor crashes.
      And that’s simply because the repairers cannot know if the battery has been damaged in the crash.
      So battery replacements force either total right-off or inflates the statistical total “repair” costs.
      Petrol tanks are cheap to replace if in doubt.

      111

    • #
      Graeme#4

      Did you read and comprehend the CNBC article referenced? This article pointed out that EV maintenance costs are NOT less than ICEs.
      And the car damage repairs are NOT related to absence of a supply chain – it’s because the slightest prang creates doubts as to whether the battery bank has been impacted, so many insurance companies just write the EV off even with minor damage. That’s why their insurance costs have doubled.
      As far ans electricity costs are concerned, what’s not being included is the initial high cost of installing an EV charge point in a residence, plus the fact that so far, EV charge points are being subsidised by the taxpayer. I don’t recall ever subsidising a petrol station. If you correctly added those extra costs to the electricity cost, I’m sure that the electricity would come out dearer than petrol.
      It’s only subsidies and consumer ignorance that’s keeping EVs afloat ATM.

      91

      • #
        Simon

        Writing off batteries after a prang is overkill and that will change once testing protocols are in place. EV charging stations don’t need to be subsidised, the market will provide. Most charging will always occur at home. EV’s don’t need to be subsidised from here on in, almost every new vehicle is a hybrid or full EV these days. There are still many subsidies in play in the provision of fossil fuels, users do not pay the full environmental cost.
        People like me will only hire EVs, so rental car companies will miss out if they don’t offer them.

        217

        • #
          Russell

          “testing protocols are in place” – did you watch DM’s Hydraulic Press Channel link above?
          Wonder why leftists always run to meme words like “protocols” to solve all their problems. Vaccine delivery comes to mind.
          Why not just consider some basic engineering?
          ICE cars have their energy stored as a fluid that can be relatively easily drained after crash (with 100 years of development refinement).
          EVs have their energy stored in a compact mass that is very difficult to drain (with almost no development refinement).

          I seem to remember leftists claiming that “protocols not being followed” was the major fail and deaths in “pink bats” program.

          92

        • #
          Graeme#4

          I thought that it would be obvious why, after even a minor accident, then the integrity of the battery pack would be suspect. It forms the main sub-frame of the entire vehicle, and has thousands of small batteries, any one of which, if damaged, can cause a major fire.
          If EV charging stations don’t need subsidies, then why has Tritium gone broke, and why are they asking for a $90 million subsidy? They obviously don’t have a business case without subsidies.
          WRT so-called fossil fuel subsidies, I believe that the tax added to the fuel cost goes to the govt, not the petrol suppliers. I don’t know of any subsidy for petrol stations.

          41

        • #
          Strop

          almost every new vehicle is a hybrid or full EV these days

          They were less than 20% of sales in Australia in August. https://www.drive.com.au/news/vfacts-august-2023-new-car-sales/

          .

          What statistics do you have to support your claim?

          50

          • #
            paul courtney

            Mr. Strop: As you may know, this commenter is some evidence that a magnetic field around an EV renders you incapable of perceiving a lie, yet motivates you to repeat the lie on comment boards. As you know, Simon’s statement wasn’t true, he has no stats to support it unless he posts another lying link. But I’ll watch for his reply anyway, I like to take EV liars down a peg. They do make it easy.

            10

    • #
      Ronin

      “Running costs are much lower, electricity is cheaper than petrol.”

      Depends on where you charge it,

      30

  • #
    Graeme#4

    Lots of negative EV comments in today’s The Australian, in relation to an EV article and a follow-on Tritium charger article. Think many commentators are visiting this site.

    81

  • #
    Philip

    This idea that electric motors are far less maintenance, is like a problem that doesn’t need solving. It’s rarely mentioned just how reliable the ICE is. Diesels in particular are simply extraordinary.

    100

  • #
    Alistair Crooks

    I would have thought that this has huge implications for those pushing the “You will own nothing and be happy” agenda. But even bigger implications for those who are the ones who are supposed to be happy owning nothing.
    If the rental business cant make a quid – there wont be much to rent.

    61

  • #
    another ian

    Not Hertz but you get the idea – a US quote

    “Repair Estimate
    Egtirnate# AP314119
    Volt
    CUSTOMER QUOTE
    ******** Chevrolet
    cxd
    08/23/2022
    Odometer: 70.489
    AM
    Estimate O ate:
    VIN: ********
    (H)
    (B)
    operation: NOIIO Battery, HYBRID BATTERY REPLACEMENT
    GM24Jß3é94
    Ct.” 2375390
    -BAT
    Par:
    ßlan
    SHOP SUPPLIES
    -FL BATTERY FEE
    CUSTOMER copy
    26.85399
    PARTS S:
    MISC S:
    TAX
    SUBTOTAL S:
    26.85399
    4000
    1
    26,887.97
    41.50
    1.71268
    29,842.15
    Page I “

    52

  • #
    Dave in the States

    Wouldn’t you rather rent this anyway?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rwO8sTI8nM

    31

  • #
    Raving

    Because of freezing and thawing temperature cycles our roads have a lot of pot holes. Carrying around an extra 500 kg will make a noticable diference to both road and car over time.

    50

  • #
    Ross

    Look, if you want to buy or rent an EV, knock yourself out. Just don’t mandate or subsidise them with my taxpayers money. Go buy your expensive Tesla, but don’t tell me you’re saving the world from climate change by doing so. In fact I like Teslas because of Elon Musk. Now, there’s a bloke that should be leader of the free world. Just been listening to his Joe Rogan podcast and Elon is an amazing person. Doesn’t hold back on a whole heap of subjects. Even calls George Soros anti-human. At least with Tesla years ago they installed their supercharger network with very little assistance. If Hertz would like to rent Tesla’s new cybertruck in Australia, then put me down as a renter. Just looks awesome to drive and not only that – they’re bulletproof, literally. You never know when that stray .22 round is going to hit your car as you drive around Australia.

    53

  • #
    BartenderUK

    Imagine driving an expensive experiment in order to stop bad weather one hundred years from now then conks out on you a hundred miles from your destination. No help. No mates. No charging points for miles.

    11

    • #

      But can’t you just nip off and bring back a big can of electricity?

      Ohhh … ahhhh …

      Auto

      21

      • #
        Hanrahan

        The guy with a generator in the back of the ute will charge both milage AND time and he will be at least an hour getting you enough power to move far.

        30

  • #
    Richard Ilfeld

    Seems to me there is an old expression something like: “you don’t know the truth of a thing until the

    rubber meets the road”. Yup.

    10

  • #
    lestonio

    Cap Allon’s website today has run extracts of the above article.
    Also has a short video well worth watching-
    https://twitter.com/i/status/1597571593722789893

    20

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    […] Great nations don’t force citizens to buy heavier cars with shorter ranges and bigger repair bills in order to stop bad weather one hundred years from now. – Jo Nova * […]

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