Hertz this week announced plans to nearly triple its fleet of EV rental vehicles in the heart of the US oil industry.
According to a company press release, the rental giant plans to bring 2,100 EVs to Houston, as well as an “EV fast-charging center” at Houston Hobby Airport that will serve both motorists and the public.
Tesla at Hertz
This adds to Hertz’s plan to create thousands of electric vehicles to major US cities—starting with 5,200 EVs and charging support announced last month for Denver. Houston is the second city in Hertz’s EV rollout, with others following. That plan also includes EV rental for Uber drivers.
Hertz has announced plans to buy 100,000 Tesla Model 3 sedans, up to 65,000 Polestar EVs more than five years, and up to 175,000 GM EV through 2027—and more from other automakers. The company says a mix of Tesla, Polestar and GM models will be available in Houston as the electric vehicle rental program ramps up.
Hertz and BP Pulse partners in electric vehicles and charging
The Houston area is where BP’s US headquarters are located, which is help Hertz with infrastructure, including the planned Hobby Airport charging hub, through the BP Pulse unit. BP also has a plan hub for electric vehicles EVincluding one at LAX, and said, overseas, EV chargers are almost as profitable as a gas pump.
Looking to diversify away from fossil fuels, BP has steadily increased its investment in electric vehicle charging and now aims to have 100,000 chargers globally by 2030. Meanwhile, Houston aims to turn them all on. the city’s light, non-emergency vehicles to electricity by 2030. Both BP and Houston have been with Big Oil for a long time, but times have changed.
