{"id":414505,"date":"2025-11-24T09:58:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T08:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=414505"},"modified":"2025-12-27T03:46:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T02:46:21","slug":"the-hertz-tesla-ev-disaster-what-happened","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=414505","title":{"rendered":"The Hertz-Tesla EV Disaster&#8230; What Happened?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"404\" data-attachment-id=\"414510\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=414510\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/00Screenshot-2025-11-24-095652.png?fit=1686%2C942&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1686,942\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"00Screenshot 2025-11-24 095652\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/00Screenshot-2025-11-24-095652.png?fit=723%2C404&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/00Screenshot-2025-11-24-095652.png?resize=723%2C404&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Hertz rental car location with electric vehicles in front, featuring a dramatic background and the text 'WE GIVE UP' overlay.\" class=\"wp-image-414510\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/00Screenshot-2025-11-24-095652.png?resize=1024%2C572&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/00Screenshot-2025-11-24-095652.png?resize=300%2C168&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/00Screenshot-2025-11-24-095652.png?resize=768%2C429&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/00Screenshot-2025-11-24-095652.png?resize=1536%2C858&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/00Screenshot-2025-11-24-095652.png?resize=640%2C358&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/00Screenshot-2025-11-24-095652.png?resize=1200%2C670&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/00Screenshot-2025-11-24-095652.png?w=1686&amp;ssl=1 1686w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/00Screenshot-2025-11-24-095652.png?w=1446&amp;ssl=1 1446w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/ytc\/AIdro_nT-3x5DlzdYwKUlW5JxwARzKzYSP-2oRmgORtROKvolYU=s48-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj\" alt=\"\" style=\"width:70px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@LogicallyAnswered\">Logically Answered<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hertz went from a comeback story to a mess all over again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They got out of bankruptcy in 2021, tried to rebrand themselves as the cool electric future of rental cars, and then dropped almost three billion dollars in losses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The plan was simple. Load up on Teslas and other EVs, save money on gas and repairs, and ride the hype. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reality was brutal. Repairs were higher than expected, renters kept crashing the cars because they were way faster than the usual airport Corolla, and people on vacation did not want to sit around hunting for chargers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then the market turned on them. EV prices fell, Tesla cut prices, used EV values tanked, and Hertz was stuck with a massive fleet worth way less than they paid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They started unloading cars by the tens of thousands, sometimes selling barely used models for half of what they cost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The whole thing turned into a giant reminder that being early only works if the economics back you up, and for Hertz, none of it did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Timestamps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q3go6XDIu6M\">0:00<\/a> &#8211; The State Of Hertz <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q3go6XDIu6M&amp;t=23s\">0:23<\/a> &#8211; The Big Pivot<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q3go6XDIu6M&amp;t=238s\">3:58<\/a> &#8211; Bumps In The Road<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=q3go6XDIu6M&amp;t=474s\">7:54<\/a> &#8211; The Fall<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"723\" height=\"407\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/q3go6XDIu6M?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The plan was simple. Load up on Teslas and other EVs, save money on gas and repairs, and ride the hype. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":414510,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"Explore Hertz's journey from bankruptcy to EV ambition and the challenges faced in the shifting rental car market. Learn from their setbacks.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"Hertz's EV Ambitions: A Costly Rental Car Misadventure","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":true,"token":"eyJpbWciOiJodHRwczpcL1wvaTAud3AuY29tXC9jbGltYXRlLXNjaWVuY2UucHJlc3NcL3dwLWNvbnRlbnRcL3VwbG9hZHNcLzIwMjVcLzExXC8wMFNjcmVlbnNob3QtMjAyNS0xMS0yNC0wOTU2NTIucG5nP2ZpdD03MjMlMkM0MDQmc3NsPTEiLCJ0eHQiOiJUaGUgSGVydHotVGVzbGEgRVYgRGlzYXN0ZXImIzgyMzA7IFdoYXQgSGFwcGVuZWQ_IiwidGVtcGxhdGUiOiJoaWdod2F5IiwiZm9udCI6IiIsImJsb2dfaWQiOjE1NTgxMjQ0OX0.qglildvxWVgBA93ynq9fTc4_GfQnlEb_jR-21OTfl28MQ"},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691839795,691839797,691818558,691824237,691839796,691818377],"class_list":{"0":"post-414505","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-electric-future","9":"tag-ev-prices-fell","10":"tag-evs","11":"tag-hertz","12":"tag-rental-cars","13":"tag-tesla","15":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/00Screenshot-2025-11-24-095652.png?fit=1686%2C942&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1JPz","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":311002,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=311002","url_meta":{"origin":414505,"position":0},"title":"Hertz CEO Steps Down after Catastrophic EV Losses","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"21\/03\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"CEO steps down after being hit with expensive EV repairs and low resale prices following purchase of 100,000 Teslas","rel":"","context":"In \"electric vehicles (EVs)\"","block_context":{"text":"electric vehicles (EVs)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=electric-vehicles-evs"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/0TESLAHERTZ.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/0TESLAHERTZ.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/0TESLAHERTZ.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/0TESLAHERTZ.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/0TESLAHERTZ.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":325857,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=325857","url_meta":{"origin":414505,"position":1},"title":"EV Hell continues: Crash victims might have to be \u201cleft to die\u201d, Hertz dumps another 10,000 cars, Tesla sacks whole charging team","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"04\/05\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In today\u2019s EV obituary column, Elon Musk has dropped a bombshell. Two months after Telsa chargers became the industry standard (which promised to save the other car makers) his profits fell, and he\u2019s fired the entire EV charging team overnight. Hertz, meanwhile, has realized that\u00a0dumping 20,000 electric cars in January\u00a0was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Batteries\"","block_context":{"text":"Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Batteries","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=electric-and-hybrid-vehicle-batteries"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/OIG-13.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/OIG-13.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/OIG-13.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/OIG-13.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":294774,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=294774","url_meta":{"origin":414505,"position":2},"title":"Hertz to sell one third of it\u2019s EV\u2019s \u2014 customers don\u2019t want them and they cost too much to fix","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"13\/01\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"With the western world hurtling into new cars that are more costly, inconvenient, slower to refuel, and prone to burning down carparks and cargo ships, it was only a matter of time before the cracks in the socialist car market started to show.","rel":"","context":"In \"electric vehicles (EVs)\"","block_context":{"text":"electric vehicles (EVs)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=electric-vehicles-evs"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0FrqdSB8XwAEdiDj.jpg?fit=1200%2C856&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0FrqdSB8XwAEdiDj.jpg?fit=1200%2C856&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0FrqdSB8XwAEdiDj.jpg?fit=1200%2C856&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0FrqdSB8XwAEdiDj.jpg?fit=1200%2C856&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0FrqdSB8XwAEdiDj.jpg?fit=1200%2C856&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":286378,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=286378","url_meta":{"origin":414505,"position":3},"title":"Hertz backpedals on rush into EV rentals: CEO says repair costs can run \u201ctwice as high\u201d","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/11\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Hertz was aiming to make 25% of its fleet electric by 2024, but is finding 11% is too much. Given there are whole nations pushing for 100% EV by 2035 there seems to be a message here\u2026 From JoNova By Jo Nova Photo: NZ archives Christchurch Hertz was aiming to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"electric vehicles (EVs)\"","block_context":{"text":"electric vehicles (EVs)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=electric-vehicles-evs"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0mfrack_realistic_photo_of_man_and_future_of_electric_cars_c7bae1e2-62de-4acf-b158-590b37668613.jpeg?fit=1200%2C673&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0mfrack_realistic_photo_of_man_and_future_of_electric_cars_c7bae1e2-62de-4acf-b158-590b37668613.jpeg?fit=1200%2C673&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0mfrack_realistic_photo_of_man_and_future_of_electric_cars_c7bae1e2-62de-4acf-b158-590b37668613.jpeg?fit=1200%2C673&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0mfrack_realistic_photo_of_man_and_future_of_electric_cars_c7bae1e2-62de-4acf-b158-590b37668613.jpeg?fit=1200%2C673&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0mfrack_realistic_photo_of_man_and_future_of_electric_cars_c7bae1e2-62de-4acf-b158-590b37668613.jpeg?fit=1200%2C673&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":294825,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=294825","url_meta":{"origin":414505,"position":4},"title":"Hertz sells off 20,000 electric cars as drivers stick with petrol","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"13\/01\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"US rental giant Hertz is selling off thousands of Teslas as weak demand forces it to replace 20,000 electric cars with petrol-powered vehicles.","rel":"","context":"In \"electric vehicles (EVs)\"","block_context":{"text":"electric vehicles (EVs)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=electric-vehicles-evs"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0hertz-teams-up-with-polestar-to-purchase-up-to-65000-electric-vehicles-over-five-years-185545_1.jpg?fit=1200%2C695&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0hertz-teams-up-with-polestar-to-purchase-up-to-65000-electric-vehicles-over-five-years-185545_1.jpg?fit=1200%2C695&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0hertz-teams-up-with-polestar-to-purchase-up-to-65000-electric-vehicles-over-five-years-185545_1.jpg?fit=1200%2C695&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0hertz-teams-up-with-polestar-to-purchase-up-to-65000-electric-vehicles-over-five-years-185545_1.jpg?fit=1200%2C695&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/0hertz-teams-up-with-polestar-to-purchase-up-to-65000-electric-vehicles-over-five-years-185545_1.jpg?fit=1200%2C695&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":330073,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=330073","url_meta":{"origin":414505,"position":5},"title":"The Electric Car Revolution is Coming Crashing Down","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"25\/05\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The state-subsidised electric car market has crashed in China and the country is trying to dump the vehicles on the West, but the same is happening here as well. For manufacturers it\u2019s going to be a blood bath. Ross Clark has the details in the Spectator.","rel":"","context":"In \"China\"","block_context":{"text":"China","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=china"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/OIG-68.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/OIG-68.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/OIG-68.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/OIG-68.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414505","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=414505"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414505\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":414512,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/414505\/revisions\/414512"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/414510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=414505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=414505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=414505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}