(Bloomberg) — Hertz Global Holdings Inc., fresh off a blockbuster order for 100,000 Teslas, reached an exclusive agreement to supply Uber drivers with electric vehicles and signed up Carvana Co. to dispose of rental cars it no longer wants.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Taken together, the deals represent a trifecta of aggressive and innovative initiatives with the potential to upend the car-rental business and hasten the transition to greener transportation. The car order on Monday, the largest-ever for EVs at $4.2 billion, was such as watershed moment that it propelled Tesla Inc.’s valuation past $1 trillion.
Just as surprising: The company behind it all is barely out of bankruptcy. Only 17 months ago, with the Covid-19 pandemic raging, Estero, Florida-based Hertz was so troubled and its future so uncertain that it was forced to seek protection from creditors. Now, under the control of hedge fund and private-equity owners, Hertz is leaning on mobile technology and digitization to transform a stodgy industry known for uninspiring cars and poor customer experiences.
“Our approach is very strategic and very deliberate in terms of how we want to disrupt ourselves and, hopefully, disrupt the industry,” Mark Fields, who’s serving as interim chief executive officer at Hertz, said in an interview. “Instead of asking why, we’re asking why not.”
Under the agreement with Uber Technologies Inc., drivers for the ride-hailing giant who previously had to provide and maintain their own EVs will be able to rent one of 50,000 Teslas from Hertz instead. The program, which starts Nov. 1, is an alternative to buying or leasing, and many drivers may find it more appealing.
Had Uber bought and rented out the Teslas itself, some states might classify drivers as employees. This arrangement with Hertz allows Uber to increase the number of rides taken on EVs without having to change its business model.
“Now is the time to drive a green recovery from the pandemic,” Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive officer of San Francisco-based Uber, said in a statement.
New Strategy
Partnering with Uber and Phoenix-based Carvana addresses two key weaknesses in the rental business: asset-utilization — how actively a car is rented out; and resale recovery — how much of the purchase price is recouped when the car is sold. By opening part of its EV fleet to ride-hailing, Hertz is aiming to maximize revenue per vehicle and improve profit margins.
Read More: Hertz Order for 100,000 EVs Pushes Tesla to $1 Trillion
Through the new deal with Carvana, one of the two biggest online car marketplaces, Hertz hopes to eliminate the discounting necessary when selling vehicles from its fleet through dealers and wholesalers. Buyers will be able to pick up cars as soon as the following day. Carvana, home of the car vending machine, earns a commission.
“This provides us with a very effective direct-to-consumer sales channel,” Fields said.
Under the Uber agreement, drivers will pay a starting rate of $334 a week to rent a Tesla with unlimited miles, plus expenses for recharging and incidental damage. That’ll gradually drop to $299. Initially, the program is open only to drivers with a 4.7-star rating and a minimum of 150 trips.
Drivers won’t be able to turn on Tesla’s autopilot feature, Fields said.
Uber is offering drivers a zero-emissions incentive of $1 a ride for using EVs and 50 cents for every rider who chooses to go green. As with all rentals, Hertz covers or absorbs the cost of financing, basic maintenance, insurance and depreciation.
Hertz has been renting to Uber drivers since 2016. The new agreement builds on that program, adding at least 50,000 Teslas to the pool of available vehicles by 2023. The new EVs will be available first in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Washington, D.C., with a nationwide rollout to follow in coming weeks.
New Investors
Knighthead Capital Management, a distressed debt hedge fund, and Certares Management, a buyout firm specializing in travel, won the bankruptcy auction for Hertz with a $6 billion bid. The initiatives they’ve announced come ahead of a relisting of Hertz shares on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
Read More: How the Once-Doomed Hertz Staged a Rebound
Early indications are the strategy is paying off. Hertz’s market valuation, based on over-the-counter trading, jumped about $1.2 billion Monday after it announced its deal with Tesla, and stood at $12.9 billion as of Tuesday’s close.
Uber shares rose as much as 3.3% in early trading Wednesday, while Carvana advanced as much as 3.9%. Tesla gained as much as 2.1%.
Fields acknowledged that with so many changes to its way of doing business, there’s a risk Hertz stumbles or something out of its control goes wrong.
“There are lots of moving parts here,” he said. “When there are hiccups, we need to be agile in learning and fixing those things.”
(Adds comments from Hertz CEO starting in fourth paragraph, details of Uber, Carvana deals.)
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.
