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Hertz to sell 20k EVs in shift back to gas-powered cars

bloomberg.com

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Re: Hertz to sell 20k EVs in shift back to gas-powered cars

#481

Post by sroussey »

tempestn wrote: post #461
mulmen wrote: post #438

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah but the Tesla implementations of these features still suck. "You get used to it" is a shitty sales pitch. Basically any other car with these features has a better implementation. Tesla does it different but not better . It isn't a matter of familiarity, these designs are just bad . My 15 year old BMW: Has seat memory tied to the key. I don't have to fiddle with a menu to save the setting. It just... remembers. H…

Oy, I wouldn't hold up a 2008 BMW as a paragon of usability. That early iDrive system was awful. Three different ways to differently manage climate temperature? Navigation straight out of the Macbook Wheel[1]? I could go on. The auto wipers were definitely better than the Tesla though. I do largely agree with you re the Tesla, although the steering wheel controls I could argue both sides. They're multi-function, whic…

I’d hold up my 2004 as a paradigm of usability though.

No screen.

Re: Hertz to sell 20k EVs in shift back to gas-powered cars

#482

Post by dreamcompiler »

Zanni wrote: post #216
s0rce wrote: post #137

I rented a Tesla from Hertz once in Houston and the whole experience was terrible. Got to the counter and the agent first suggested that I take a gas car for $25/day. I was confused because that was so cheap, although the Tesla was already heavily discounted. Apparently, this was $25/day above what I had paid for the model 3 and it was for a compact economy car. I stuck with the Tesla. The agent warned me that repair…

I had a similar process the first time I rented a Tesla from Hertz (about a year ago). Counter-person was surly, gave me the key for the wrong vehicle (!) and gave me incorrect instructions on how to use the key. Hertz did send out an email in advance on how to use a Model 3/Y, including key entry (incorrect, unfortunately), door operation and charging. Recently I rented one again, and the process was much improved,…

I don't know why Hertz is making a big deal out of bringing the cars back charged, other than as an excuse to make some extra cash. The cars probably sit there long enough that they could plug all their Teslas into 120V outlets and charge them fully; their only expense would be a little bit higher electric bill.

Now whether they should charge them fully is another story. No higher than 80% is best for long battery life, unless they know the customer is picking up the car today, in which case 100% is fine.

Re: Hertz to sell 20k EVs in shift back to gas-powered cars

#483

Post by samtho »

fy20 wrote: post #455
Zanni wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a similar process the first time I rented a Tesla from Hertz (about a year ago). Counter-person was surly, gave me the key for the wrong vehicle (!) and gave me incorrect instructions on how to use the key. Hertz did send out an email in advance on how to use a Model 3/Y, including key entry (incorrect, unfortunately), door operation and charging. Recently I rented one again, and the process was much improved,…

This honestly sounds like a failure from Tesla just making stuff work in non-standard ways. Where I am in Europe there are a few car sharing apps that have electric cars, and all that I've rented (VW, Peugeot, Nissan, Hyundai) just work the same as ICE cars. You press the button on the key fob and it unlocks, you press Start and the car starts. Charging was not terribly complicated either. Scan the RFID tag on the ke…

Driving an EV in the EU is way more enjoyable than the US because you’ll know that you’ll find a CCS2 connector, at least.

Re: Hertz to sell 20k EVs in shift back to gas-powered cars

#484

Post by jquery »

mattmaroon wrote: post #468
dcchambers wrote: post #453

Im bullish on EVs but I feel like rental cars are one of the worst places for the current generation of EVs. EVs are best for the types of driving we do on a day-to-day basis. Short commutes in areas we know well. Charge at home over night and 95% of the year you never worry about charging. Renting a car means I'm usually either driving long distances or im somewhere new and I don't know about the local charging infr…

You actually can charge at the San Diego zoo, which I discovered last week when I (against my wishes) got an EV as a rental. It is terrible. The charger network is brutal for a non-Tesla.

Hertz is ditching their Teslas, not their other EVs, apparently. I don't blame them when the suspension keeps falling apart randomly.

Re: Hertz to sell 20k EVs in shift back to gas-powered cars

#485

Post by kbos87 »

I only recently started sticking with Hertz because I can reliably get a Tesla from them. It's easy to be a gold member, I walk in, get my car without any hassle at all, scan the QR code in the car, all of my settings magically appear, and it's like I'm driving my own car at home.

On the other hand, I think it's insane and a real shame that they just handed unsuspecting people who booked the cheapest car an EV. That's a flat out deception and a major hassle if you aren't ready for it.

As is usually the case, Hertz may have raced into the trend a little too quickly, and now they will back off for a period of time. I don't think this says much about the long term trend under which we all end up driving EVs in another 15 years.

Re: Hertz to sell 20k EVs in shift back to gas-powered cars

#486

Post by martinflack »

mdavidn wrote: post #382
lgkk wrote: post #358

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to have a '18 Model 3 Performance (P3D as they were called then) and I sold it after a little less than 3 years. 1. The interior quality was shit. By 10k miles everything was rattling and the quiet nature of the car meant even with bass thumping everything was just annoying af. 2. The car software felt like it got worse. I had bought FSD for $2k back in 2018. I thought it worked fine for that price. As it beca…

I holding onto my hybrid until the industry comes to its senses and realizes that PHEVs are the solution to electrifying daily commutes with sensibly sized batteries while simultaneously sidestepping range anxiety for long trips.

I've been lightly car shopping in the past few weeks, and from chatting to salespeople, that does seem like the trend that's coming.

Re: Hertz to sell 20k EVs in shift back to gas-powered cars

#487

Post by kbos87 »

kirse wrote: post #471
dcchambers wrote: post #453

Im bullish on EVs but I feel like rental cars are one of the worst places for the current generation of EVs. EVs are best for the types of driving we do on a day-to-day basis. Short commutes in areas we know well. Charge at home over night and 95% of the year you never worry about charging. Renting a car means I'm usually either driving long distances or im somewhere new and I don't know about the local charging infr…

I feel like rental cars are one of the worst places for the current generation of EVs. This was my recent experience. I was offered an EV car as a rental upgrade in a major city because the local rental place didn't have an EV charger. I figured what the hell because it was a relaxed holiday vacation. Turns out that was a hilariously bad idea. Ended up spending at least 5-6 hours of my week vacation trying to avoid t…

I'm sorry that happened to you. I can say that having an EV in a place you know and as part of a familiar routine is a very different experience.

Re: Hertz to sell 20k EVs in shift back to gas-powered cars

#488

Post by jquery »

phinnaeus wrote: post #324
afavour wrote: post #295

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed. Got a Polestar for a surprisingly cheap price on Hertz recently and I was really impressed with it. If I were in the market I think I’d take it over a Tesla.

Ooof. I own a Model 3 and was really looking forward to my Polestar 2 rental in NZ over the holidays. It felt like a massive downgrade in pretty much every way to me. The biggest thing was the responsiveness, it was on par with a standard ICE vehicle in terms of how sluggish it was. I was incredibly disappointed given that I would love to look elsewhere (from Tesla) for my next vehicle.

This tracks, seems people like Tesla for the zoom zoom factor. In my experience everything else about Tesla is F-tier.

Personally I care more about an elegant ride than a fast, jerky one.

Re: Hertz to sell 20k EVs in shift back to gas-powered cars

#489

Post by grogenaut »

ibejoeb wrote: post #303
Tempest1981 wrote: post #285

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems like a lot of random complaints, from mobile apps to lane-keeping software. Not much seems specific to EVs, more just about new technologies. I guess you can rent a $20k Kia and avoid all the new tech.

If a brand popped up and offered a gasoline ICE with old toyota-level reliability and longevity, and without electronics (save for maybe bluetooth for some music) I'd pay a sizeable premium for it.

so far I'm really happy with my 21 tacoma... it's got just enough tech but lots of physical buttons. I just use android auto with a wireless dongle. the only issue with that is it takes about 12-20 seconds to pair on car start. The stereo is just a 2 din box as well with minimal car interactions, just a forward back/up down volume button on the wheel. which reminds me the volume is left right not up down, which is crazy.

it's a very nice mix so far of just truck and modern.

Re: Hertz to sell 20k EVs in shift back to gas-powered cars

#490

Post by jquery »

Underphil wrote: post #389
ibejoeb wrote: post #303

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If a brand popped up and offered a gasoline ICE with old toyota-level reliability and longevity, and without electronics (save for maybe bluetooth for some music) I'd pay a sizeable premium for it.

I'm with you on that. I don't need a screen full of soon-to-be outdated software on it. I carry one with me everywhere and it works just fine.

CarPlay is all I need. I use the car screen for navigation and that's about it.
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