I decided on a last-minute Hertz Tesla rental on a recent trip to Edmonton during a cold snap. The purpose was twofold: One, I wanted to see if the experience was as bad as I had read online, and two, it allowed me to experience what it was like to drive a Tesla in the cold. More to come on the latter.
This Hertz Tesla rental review will cover my Hertz Tesla Model Y rental experience, including booking, cost, charging, and things to be aware of for anyone considering the same.
Hertz Tesla Experiment and the Misinformation Around it
Hertz made big news when it announced it was going all in on Tesla. They purchased a shockingly large fleet of 100,000 vehicles and even had Tom Brady as a spokesperson.
Take this click-bait article over at Business Insider titled “I rented an EV from Hertz. I’m not surprised they’re dumping 20,000 electric cars.”
The post starts by complaining that Hertz would only accept the reservation with the renter’s physical credit card, which was left at home across town. I don’t know how this is relevant to the title.
In the post, the renter, who claims to be familiar with Tesla vehicles, goes on to explain that the car quickly ran out of washer fluid (also, nothing to do with EVs) and that the staff didn’t brief them on how to operate a Tesla. This is despite the fact that Hertz does an excellent job of providing renters with plenty of documentation online prior to pickup, which the renter acknowledges…
Despite only running local errands, the renter was frustrated to receive a car at 53% charge and claimed they spent most of the first 24hrs searching for and using chargers. They stated that they were at a “Supercharger” and only charged 5% in 15 minutes. This seems suspicious and suspect they were likely at a L2 destination charger and not a Supercharger.
The rest of the story is otherwise positive, stating “the remaining four days were smooth sailing,” showing they were just out to grab clicks during the news cycle. They even cap it off saying they would rent an a Tesla or another EV from Hertz again. 🤦♂️
The Real Reason Why Hertz is Selling it’s Tesla Fleet
If you read past stories like this, you will see that the real reason Hertz is getting out using Teslas is all about dollars and cents. Yes, a factor is that renters are unfamiliar with EV use (like this Business Insider author). However, the main reason is the cost of repairing Teslas and the decline in demand for them to be rented.
Renters were getting into more accidents in Teslas (unfamiliarity but suspect acceleration and speed play a bigger role), and, as I know from first-hand experience, Teslas are not cheap to repair. In addition to the cooling off of the rental market, Hertz wasn’t making as much money off these vehicles as forcaseted.
So, this has nothing to do with a downfall in electric vehicles, as some news outlets and your redneck uncle would have you believe.
How to Rent a Tesla from Hertz
Now, despite what stories you have read, Hertz is not getting rid of all its Tesla vehicles. You can still rent them in plenty of locations across North America, and they can be booked through their official website. That said, I generally find the best car rental rates through Expedia. This is how I booked my Hertz Tesla rental review vehicle.
Hertz Tesla Rental Cost
Hertz Tesla rental cost have fallen significantly since they were first added to their fleet. What was once comparable to other high-end ICE and speciality vehicles is now inline with full-size and mid-size SUV rates. Prices vary depending on location and demand so its best to check online for latest rates.
Again, I find Expedia offers the best Hertz Tesla rental rates as costs are generally lower than going directly through the Hertz website.
My Hertz Tesla Rental Review Experience
With that PSA on why Hertz sold some of its Teslas out of the way, let’s get back to my Hertz Tesla review. Hopefully, you can see why I was curious to give it a go.
My Hertz Tesla rental was a last-minute decision. While waiting to board my flight to Edmonton, I decided to rent a car instead of taking Uber for my three days around town. While scrolling through Expidia I came across a Hertz Tesla Model Y listed for around $100/day.
Although tempted, a mid-sized SUV would only cost me $160 for my three-day stay, so I booked that instead.
Pick Up and Hertz Tesla Rental Cost
Once on the ground and at the counter, I asked what the rate would be for the Hertz Tesla Model Y. I was quoted almost $500 for the three days, so I declined and asked to go with my original booking.
The agent asked if I was interested in the Tesla, and I told her that I drive a Model Y at home in Vancouver. Surprisingly, she let me take a Model Y for the $160 rate I had booked for the mid-size SUV! It sure beats the RAV 4 or similar I was going to get.
Hertz Rentals are Seamless For Tesla Owners
Key card in hand, I made my way into the cold parkade and to the car. Thanks to a QR code pop-up on the screen, I was able to add the vehicle to my Tesla App and, within seconds, I had my personal seat settings setup along with the ability to remotely control vehicle features and use my phone as a key. This certainly isn’t a necessity, but it really makes things easy and a perk for Tesla owners.
Hertz Tesla Rental Charging
A big downfall for the author of that Business Insider hit piece was their struggles to charge. Although they were in Michigan, the struggle would be worse in Alberta. This oil-driven province, after all, is putting a tax on electric vehicles while the rest of the country is offering incentives to go green.
Looking at Plugshare, charging options are by no means sparse in Edmonton with plenty of L2 options. L3 chargers are limited; however, there are two Supercharger locations, both conveniently located to/from the airport.
The downside is that the Edmonton airport is located 30 km south of the city center. Hertz asks for vehicles to be returned with a charge of 80% or more, so this would be tricky in the -26 degree Celsius weather I was welcomed with.
On the positive side, the car had a 96% charge on pickup. This was surprising, as the vehicle was a long-range dual motor, so it most certainly had a 2170 battery pack.
Alternatively, you can pay $30 to return the vehicle under 80%. Since I have plenty Supercharger credits, I skipped this.
As for Hertz Tesla charging costs, renters are on the hook for the cost just like filling a rental with gas. This means signing up for 3rd party charging networks and/or a Supercharger account as required. Again, for Tesla owners, there is no extra step here.
Hertz Tesla Charging Adapters
Now, I knew the vehicle was to come with a J1772 adapter, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it also had a mobile charger with a Nema-15 adapter. Had I known this in advance, I would have packed my Nema-14-50 adapter, as my friend’s house has a plug in his garage.
Still, the Nema-15 is great for trickle charging, especially in cold climates. Although it would not add much, it would help with the loss of charge due to the cold.
Hertz Tesla Model Y Around Edmonton
After punching in my plans into the nav, I was off. My first stop was on Whyte Av to pick up a few things and have lunch. Since I was going to be parking the car for the bulk of the trip, I took this as an opportunity to top up at the same time at a nearby Flo charger. I would do this one more time before hitting a Supercharger on my way to return the car at the airport.
I did have difficulties with the Supercharger as several stalls were down due to ice build up in the connecter. I will share that experience on my cold weather post.
Other than having to charge the car to 93% to ensure I returned the vehicle with 80%, the experience was very smooth.
So, Is Renting a Tesla From Hertz Worth it?
In the end, I got a Hertz Tesla Model Y for the same price as a RAV-4. This was worth it and then some, even in the cold. Previous options to rent a Tesla would have been limited to Turo and, despite being a former Turo host, I would not use it as a renter. This is simply because they do not honour credit card vehicle insurance.
Going through Hertz got me a comfortable and familiar ride with “free” insurance coverage while paying just $6 for charging (not including Supercharger top up as I had credits). I should also note, that $6 also included parking.
That said, renting a Tesla from Hertz won’t be for everyone. Just like buying an EV, (or any new tech really) there are going to be those that struggle. You need to know what you are getting into and plan accordingly. For EV rentals, that means understanding where and how to charge along with factors like cold weather and the effects on batteries.
Although staff on the ground may not have all the answers, Hertz does a good job providing documentation in advance. Also, there are plenty of great online resources to help with this. 😉
But what do you think? Would you rent a Tesla from Hertz? Or has the bad press turned you off? Let me know in the comments below.
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