Hertz and Uber announce deployment of 25,000 Tesla and Polestar EVs in Europe

Hertz and Uber announced today that they are expanding their partnership to electrify their fleets, and they are deploying 25,000 electric cars in Europe.

In 2020, Hertz announced an important effort to electrify its fleet of rental cars, led by a massive purchase of 100,000 Tesla Model 3 vehicles to be delivered over the next year.

Shortly after, Hertz announced that on top of adding Tesla vehicles to its rental fleet, the company also made a deal with Uber to offer its drivers access to the Tesla vehicles. Fifty-thousand Tesla vehicles will be offered for rent to Uber drivers, and the company has an option for more if the program is successful.

As of last summer, we learned that Uber drivers were already using 15,000 Tesla Model 3 vehicles through the deal with Hertz.

Now Hertz has confirmed that nearly 50,000 Uber drivers have rented a Tesla through this program.

Building on that success, the rental car company is now partnering with Uber to bring electric vehicles to Europe:

Hertz and Uber today announced a European expansion to their successful North American partnership through which Hertz will make up to 25,000 electric vehicles (EVs) available to Uber drivers in European capital cities by 2025. A wide range of suitable EVs will be on offer, including vehicles from Tesla and Polestar.

After the large Tesla deal to buy 100,000 Tesla Model 3 vehicles, Hertz also added Tesla Model Y vehicles and Polestar 2.

The press release about the European expansion indicates that those three electric vehicles are still going to be the main ones deployed through the deal.

Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO, commented on the announcement: 

As the largest mobility platform in the world, we know that our impact goes beyond our technology. Climate change is the most urgent global challenge which we must all tackle together – now is the time to accelerate. Expanding our partnership with Hertz into Europe will significantly boost our transition to zero-emissions, helping drivers reduce running costs and cleaning up urban transport. We aim to become a 100% electric platform across Europe by 2030.

The deal should significantly increase the number of electric vehicles on Uber’s ridesharing fleet across Europe and bring them closer to their goal of only operating with electric vehicles by the end of the decade.