Hertz has invested in an Irish-led EV rental app company called UFODRIVE. The firm offers the first completely digital, EV-only rental service that enables you to simply "arrive and drive" without having to deal with waiting lines and rental staff. You simply book your EV and drive away, with the whole process taking around two-minutes.
Hertz has, as you may have heard, ordered 100,000 Model 3s as it looks to transition to a more sustainable future. It's building on that by investing in UFODRIVE, who's service generates drastically less emissions than the traditional car rental model and is available 24/7. This comes not long after Hertz announced a partnership with Uber, enabling customers to rent Teslas whilst using the Uber network.
UFODRIVE has raised $19 million from their most recent funding round, which was co-led by Hertz. UFODRIVE CEO Aidan McClean had the following to say:
“Born from a vision to deliver what we call ‘Radically Better Car Rental,’ this investment is a major validation of that dream. We are proud that we are helping to accelerate the transition to zero-emissions mobility, and our investors see the opportunity ahead. We pioneered and are now the premier operating system for electric fleets and already service a growing list of high-profile mobility companies.”
Hertz has already undertook live testing off UFODRIVE app with their vehicles as they look to streamline their service and improve EV operations. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed Hertz paid full price for their 100,000 Model 3s, making the deal worth over $4 billion. Deliveries are already underway at Hertz locations throughout the US.
