E.V.s are extremely expensive to fix. Why would a car rental company, that rents to drivers who are almost guaranteed to be inexperienced with E.V.s, highly likely to be unfamiliar with the area which they’re about to navigate, and also less concerned with the car because it’s still just a rental, ever think this would be a wise decision? I mean, if we’re shooting from the hip and gambling hundreds of millions on a bluff, why not just buy a fleet of Lamborghinis instead?
Did this CEO ever even think of the marketing implications of converting large swaths of his vehicles to electric today?
for people who are probably traveling away from home and likely don’t know their way around, the idea that they could easily and conveniently “fill up” is of course, absurd. Also, if people are returning a vehicle and trying to catch a flight, how are they supposed to plan in a lengthy charge, assuming the charging station is actually functioning?
Bribes have consequences.
Hertz. Isn’t this the company that just pulled out of Chapter 11 in 2021?
What a cluster failure.
Battery powered EV’s are dead as a door nail.
Anyone who thought they were a good idea as general transportation needs to be looked at with deep suspicion.
Hertz payed out 168 million in 2022 over falsely accusing customers of stealing cars. You can find articles in 2023 indicating they were still engaging in the practice.
When I am in an unfamiliar city or location, it is stressful enough just figuring out the traffic patterns and how to get around. Last thing I want to do is add to that stress by worrying about where I am going to find EV chargers.
Just a stupid idea.
Impulse buying , oh my
Golden parachute. He will be fine.
If I were the CEO of Hertz, I would start off with a small fleet of EVs, maybe 5 or 10 at selected branches and SEE HOW THEY WERE RECEIVED.
If that went OK, I would get some more, maybe 50 at some more branches.
Then ...
I would NOT have gone hog wild and bought a sh!tload of the damn things right off the bat.
But what do I know, I didn’t go to Harvard, Yale or one of those big Ivy League schools where every graduate has all the right answers?
Oh I’m sure he’s not relegated to sleeping under an overpass. 😏
I rented in NYC airport from hertz. When I go to NY it’s NJ shore, Connecticut shore. North shore of LI visiting fam. A NYC trip too
I’m going to be dependent of plugging in a glorified golf cart? Em… no.
At half price? Nope.
Disgraced and loaded.
On the positive side, those people who would like to try out an EV can probably pick one up from Hertz for half the cost at least, and maybe still qualify for the EV tax credit
If he gets a golden handshake and/or some high paying sinecure, he’ll be laughing all the way to the bank...
I was a Hertz customer (business travel) for years and they had the best rewards program in the industry. My first post covid trip to the UK all they had at LHR was electric vehicles. No thanks.
Common sense is a prized commodity nowadays!
Did a trip to the Nashville area and reserved a “mystery car” from Herz because it was the cheapest option. When I showed up for the car they told me it was an EV. Nope! I told them to get me something else. I don’t care care if it costs more; I’m not wasting vacation time stressing about charging stations and all that garbage.
I am not surprised this failed. Who couldn’t see that coming? This fired CEO I guess.
Too late. Hertz doesn't deserve one more second of your time.
This guy can offer no reasonable rational explanation for what he did except that he thought it was the way the government wanted him to go.
LOL 100,000??? maybe 1000cars to NYC, Boston, Miami and LA as a test market might have been in order...