Snapshot
- Hertz agrees to buy 65,000 Polestar electric vehicles over five years
- Polestar 2 will make up a bulk of the fleet before more models are introduced
- Australian roll-out to begin from the end of 2022
Swedish electric vehicle manufacturer Polestar and rental company Hertz have signed a five-year deal which will result in 65,000 EVs joining the American brand’s global fleet.
Announced today, the deal will see Hertz take delivery of the Polestar EVs over the next five years, with the Polestar 2 set to make up a large portion of the fleet as the manufacturer’s only current fully-electric offering – although the upcoming Polestar 3 is expected to enter production in China and North America later this year.
According to Hertz, the Polestar 2 will be available to hire in Europe from the Northern Hemisphere’s spring 2022 while customers in Australia and North America will have to wait until the end of the year, bolstering Hertz’s EV fleet in the States – claimed to be one of the largest in the world.
Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said the Polestar 2 would be perfect for Hertz and its customers as the brand expands, targeting an annual vehicle production of 290,000 units by 2025.
“Polestar is committed to accelerating the move to electric mobility with a fascinating and innovative product portfolio,” said Ingenlath.
“We are delighted that Hertz has chosen Polestar as a strategic partner on its road to electrification. The partnership with a global pioneer like Hertz will bring the amazing experience of driving an electric car to a wider audience, satisfying a broad variety of our mutual customers’ short- and longer-term mobility requirements.
“For many of them it may be the first time they have driven an EV, and it will be a Polestar.”
Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr believes the decision to partner with Polestar can help accelerate the adoption of EVs while also reducing its own carbon footprint.
“We are excited to partner with Polestar and look forward to introducing its premium EV products into our retail and rideshare fleets,” said Scherr.
“Today’s partnership with Polestar further builds on our ambition to become a leading participant in the modern mobility ecosystem and doing so as an environmentally-forward company.
“By working with EV industry leaders like Polestar, we can help accelerate the adoption of electrification while providing renters, corporate customers and rideshare partners a premium EV product, exceptional experience and lower carbon footprint.”
Hertz was initially thought to be down and out after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic started, but its business deals in the past year include a partnership with EV manufacturer Tesla to join its fleet.
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Keyword: Polestar signs five-year deal to supply Hertz with 65,000 EVs