Electric car manufacturer Tesla and rental car company Hertz are teaming up to offer Uber drivers expanded access to environmentally-friendly vehicles by adding 50,000 electric cars to Uber’s fleet.
Starting Nov. 1, Uber drivers in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., can rent Tesla Model 3 sedans from local Hertz locations. According to a statement released by Hertz, this electric vehicle program will have “a nationwide expansion in the coming weeks.”
“Today’s partnership with Uber is another major step forward in Hertz becoming an essential component of the modern mobility ecosystem and executing on our commitment to being an environmentally forward company,” said Mark Fields, Hertz interim CEO, in the statement. “We are creating the new Hertz and charting a dynamic, new course for the future of travel, mobility, and the auto industry.”
In total, Hertz is adding 100,000 Teslas to its rental fleet, and the company shared that news on social media with a promo starring Tom Brady:
On Twitter, Hertz announced the deal with Uber, writing, “Next time you order an @Uber, it might be one of our @Tesla EV’s [sic].”
Next time you order an @Uber, it might be one of our @Tesla EV’s
. Excited to provide up to 50K EV’s to @Uber drivers by 2023 #LetsGo pic.twitter.com/jUplCJisCf
— Hertz (@Hertz) October 27, 2021
The partnership aligns with Uber’s promise to adopt a “fully zero-emission platform by 2040” including having 100% of rides in the U.S., Canada and European cities take place in electric vehicles by 2030.
Currently, a small percentage of Uber drivers use electric vehicles. But the rideshare company said the deal with Tesla and Hertz is a first step to making EVs more accessible to its workers. They’re offering a few perks for Uber drivers renting a Tesla, such as $1 more per trip (up to $4,000 annually) and access to Tesla’s Supercharger network, according to a statement from Uber. Tesla drivers will also be eligible for Uber’s Comfort Ride and Uber Green service levels.
During the initial run of the new program, Uber drivers with at least a 4.7-star rating and at least 150 trips can rent a Tesla 3 car for $334 per week, and then the price goes down to $299 or less per week. Rental fees include insurance and basic maintenance. (Uber drivers can already rent a car from Hertz through a partnership; Hertz’s base rate for that program is $214 per week, Recode reported.)
MacDonald said in the statement that the goal of this rental program is to bring electric vehicle ownership and usage to the forefront as more financially-feasible options for drivers.
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