- Hertz is asking some people renting Teslas and other EVs if they want to buy their vehicles.
- The rental company said last year that it would sell 30,000 EVs amid a slowdown in demand.
- Hertz is offering used Teslas for as little as about $18,000.
Hertz is continuing to reduce the number of EVs in its fleet by offering customers renting an electric car the opportunity to buy it at a bargain.
Last year Hertz said it would sell 30,000 EVs, including cars from Tesla, Polestar, and Volvo, because of the cost of repairs and maintenance.
The move saw Teslas listed at discounted prices on Hertz's website, and now the company is asking some renters if they'd like to buy their EV.
One person on Reddit recently said they were offered a 2023 Tesla Model 3 — which sells new for about $35,000 after federal incentives — for $17,913. The post included a screenshot of an email describing the offer as an opportunity "to think of this rental as a test drive!"
Other people said they'd been offered similar deals for Polestar and Chevy electric cars.
A Hertz spokesperson told Business Insider the emails were part of an effort to give all customers the chance to buy an EV or combustion-engine car that the company would soon put up for sale. Rental companies usually sell their cars after they have been driven a certain number of miles.
"Many people don't know we sell cars. By connecting our rental customers who opt into our emails to our sales channels, we're not only building awareness of the fact that we sell cars but also offering a unique opportunity to someone who may be in the market for the same car they have on rent," the spokesperson said.
Hertz's decision to buy 100,000 Teslas in 2021 was hailed as a turning point for the EV industry, but the rental company's electric shift hasn't gone to plan.
Its EV fleet, which also includes cars from General Motors and Polestar, has had higher-than-expected repair costs and low resale values as demand for EVs has slowed over the past year.
Hertz's sales website lists a used Tesla Model 3 for as little as $17,900 or a Model Y for $27,700.