I would go as far as saying 100% Hertz and 0% Polestar. I have recently rented a polestar in the exact same location. My issue was that we were given zero info on how or where to charge. This was especially difficult as coming from the UK I could not download any of the charge point apps, when I could I was unable to use a British bank card, add to the fact that the car did not come with a home charger I spent the entire trip panicking about where to top up. I contacted hertz and all they did to support was give me locations of charge points I could not use or were broken. The car itself was perfect!
I had a “normal” car reserved at Hertz for a recent week long business trip. My flight was a bit delayed so I arrived at the Providence (RI) airport later than planned and the only car Hertz had left was a Model 3. It only had about 35% of a charge and the location I was visiting had ZERO level 2 chargers, much less any fast chargers. It was late and I wanted to get to my room, so I took the car. Fortunately, the hotel where I was staying had a 120V outlet close enough to the parking lot so that I could use the Level 1 charger that was (thankfully) still in the trunk. I wasn’t driving pre than about 10-12 miles per day when there, so the slow charge was adequate, but it did cause me some extra stress on the trip. I enjoyed driving the electric car, but would have enjoyed it more under different circumstances. Sending a customer out with a low charge to begin with was a bum move, too.
I handle charging for Hertz at PHX, and it's disturbing how many Teslas get rented out without the charging kit and/or the Tesla charging adapter. The customers don't know to make sure they have it before they leave, and most employees either don't know it's supposed to be there or care enough to check.
@@stevelovescars yeah i don’t understand this. If the gas car has to be on full when you collect it and bring it back it should be the same for the EV. I rent from Hertz to drive Uber we Uber drivers probably make up 3/4 of the money they make paying $600 a week for Tesla rentals and they literally give us filthy cars with no charge all the time but will charge a cleaning fee if you bring it back dirty. Smfh….
Just rented and drove my first EV ever and it’s a Polestar 2 from Hertz. When I was checking out the woman mentioned something about gas, I said, “this is an EV”, she was like, “oh”. Needless to say there was zero help about anything, I pretty much had to figure everything out on the fly. Thankfully, TH-cam videos like yours have been very helpful!
No, it really sounds like HERTZ did put people in jail by reporting the cars stolen when the were legitimate rental’s within the rental periods, they messed up ( Hertz ) and those people didn’t deserve to be treated as criminals.
@@supersai4198 It sounds like you’re not familiar with what everyone is talking about. Do some research. Hertz is known to rent cars to people, then arrest them after, saying they stole the car. The cases become nightmares. In one, they threw a man in jail for six full months! He lost his job and his house. In one case, the person never even rented a car from Hertz. I’d rather Uber than rent a car from Hertz.
Hertz has been sued for the false arrest of their customers due to problematic paperwork issues. It sounds like what you described as your pickup experience is exactly why I don't rent from Hertz. You would think since all the National attention that story got they would have jumped on making corrections but it doesn't appear that way.
I rented a Tesla from Hertz a couple of months ago from the Orlando airport. Prior to making the reservation I called Hertz to ask what the charge return level policy was (70%) because, like you, I couldn’t find it on the website. I initially thought of renting the Polestar as I had never been in one before, but found there were no compatible chargers in the area I would be staying. There was however a Tesla charging station less than 2 miles away, charged there twice and at another station with no issues. Charging fees will get added to your final rental costs, no need to mess around with credit cards, apps or accounts. I didn’t get any instructions on how to use the Tesla from Hertz but I had driven them a few times before so no problem. Was disappointed I had no way of connecting with the Tesla app. Otherwise no problems, pleasure to drive, and I would do it again.
We had a similar story and it is a long one. My wife had an urgent trip to Harrisburg, PA in early 2023, she booked a car using one of those discounted websites and got a confirmation from Hertz. Once landed she headed to the car renting counter and after a long wait she received the last car on the lot, and it was a Polestar. Being know nothing about electric cars she called me for help because Hertz's agent did not show her how to operate the car. After a quick Google search, I was able to instruct her to start the car, and she was on her way to her destination 60 miles ago away from the nearest city. After reaching her destination, the car showed that it now had about 90 miles of range left. I urged her to go find a charge station the next day. This is where the fun started, she stayed at a small suburb when the nearest Chargepoint is about 40 miles away, and since she had used up some of the ranges through the day she only had about 20 miles left according to the car. She found a Shell station that has its own charger, after fumbling with the app she had to put in $20 for the initial opening, and after a long phone call with me, she was able to make the car charge. She then waited and waited for over 2 hours then called me again saying there was only 10% up so far. I then told her to wait so it has enough charge to get to the hotel and the trip back to the airport, which took her another 2 hours to the wee hours of the night in a strange town (good thing it was at Shell station which she was able to wait inside). For the rest of the trip, she called Uber. The good thing was she only spent $2 on an electric charge for almost 200 miles of use, the bad thing was the remaining $18 is of no use nor refunded. Oh, she did not know how to operate all the other functions of the car so she left them in whatever it was set at. The morals of the story are, one, do not rent an electric car if you are not familiar with it; two, do not fall for cheap rental advertisements on the web. Third, do not buy an electric car until there is infrastructure in place everywhere and the charging is as closely fast as filling up a gas tank.
Sounds like the gripe is more with the Hertz location and the charging network than Hertz in general or with the car. I rented a Tesla Model 3 in London and again in the US. Positive experience both times. The first time in London, they took 15 minutes to go over driving an EV in general and the specifics of the Model 3. Both times, they carefully explained the charge level to return it at and the $35 option. Charging at a Tesla fast charger was brain dead easy. Pull up, plug it in, charge, and leave. No app, no hassle.
I rented Polestar 2 from Hertz at Eindhoven airport and everything went as smooth as possible. I received the car with 94% battery and returned it with about 50%. I asked about charge level on return and they said that I don't have to worry about that and there is no fee for charge level difference. Hertz staff gave me hertz tag which I used to pay for charging at any charging station anywhere in Netherlands. No credit card needed what so ever. After returning the car they charged me about 23 euro for 500km traveled with Polestar 2.
hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So as we now know - Hertz clerks manning the front desk HAVE NO CLUE how to either operate the electric TOY car or what to charge for battery status when the TOY is returned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No doubt some senior mechanic will add a re-charge fee to your revised credit card bill at a later date!!!!!!
@@abellseaman4114 You are so wrong my friend you can't imagine how much. She was very well informed about specifications of Polestar 2 and we had one very nice and profound conversation about the difference between Polestar and Kia e-Niro, which was my initial rental vehicle. We even touch Tesla Model 3 talking about the differences. I've never met any woman that well informed about cars in general. Hertz returned me deposit on my credit card so after a couple of months from visiting Netherlands i consider everything done. Maybe, just maybe a speeding ticket or two if any camera recorded me.
@@mitrovskiigi So, Hertz in the Netherlands as their act together while Hertz in the USA hasn't figured it out. That Hertz gave you a card to use for charging and handled the billing seems wonderful and apparently didn't gouge you for the service.
Thank you for wasting our time by offering that LIE-beral electric TOY car nonsense propaganda!!!!!!! The reported experiences of multiple electric TOY car users make your comments ABSURD!!!!!!!!!!!
Considering how often Hertz has legitimate renters arrested and jailed for stealing cars which they have already paid for and turned back in to Hertz, I think it went pretty well for you.
When I started renting vehicles back in the 90’s I did my due diligence and researched all the mainstream companies and Hertz was immediately a no-go….higher rates and caps on mileage, and even though they had better choices, still wasn’t worth it. After watching this, apparently they still aren’t! Wasn’t it also Hertz that was having customers mistakingly arrested over glitches, etc. in their system awhile back?
@ u do realize that the batteries in both our cars r mined from the ground then shipped around the world requiring massive diesel and marine engines some of the most polluting engines on the planet and it’s not even close to get to manufacturing plants then shipped again to the vehicle assembly plants.
EVs only make sense as a commuter car and when you can charge at home with low cost electricity. My electric rate is only 10.5c/kwh delivered so it costs about 1/3 of what gas costs. Sadly, this is not the case for most locations in the US.
Zelbug - The manufactures of EV cars direct their focus on exactly drivers like you, not the rental car market. I imagine you rarely if ever use a commercial charging station. That is exactly the goal.
Had one in Italy for 34 days.....was same price as a Mini so opted for the Polestar luxury...watched video before i left on how to use the controls and planned my trip re chargers....many free ones in Italy....had a blast with it
I wanted to try out an EV, so I rented a Nissan Leaf on Turo. I needed to download multiple apps, constantly searching for an available charger (range anxiety), wasting time using slow, expensive chargers. And both hills and a/c significantly cut range in this car. No thanks. Keep your hassle.
You rented what has to be the most rubbish of rubbish EVs. Similarly, I could rent some shonky low rent cheap as chips Skoda and pronounce all Petrol and diesel cars are therefore rubbish as well. Ironically, I went to an ASDA supermarket here in the UK and was presented with a pump that only accepted credit cards. No attendant and for some reason at 11pm, none of the bloody things worked. All the pumps were not accepting cards.
This past October, I rented an EV from Hertz on my Boston trip. I initially reserved a Tesla Model 3 but was given a Polestar 2 instead. The Hertz rep told me as long as it was over 20%, I didn't bring the car trashed or a total wreck, I wasn't going to be charged any penalties. I returned the car back at 64% clean, and in one piece. The Hertz rep kept to his word and I was not charged any penalties. I did not mind at all because Polestar gave me the feel of a regular car and not the extra bells and whistles a Tesla offers. It was only for 24 hours but I completely fell in love with Polestar. So much when I came back home, I purchased one. It was my first experience with an EV and I found it to be very intuitive. I don't have a charger installed and I really don't mind going to a charging station because there is one behind my corner grocery store and I plan my charging on the days I have to do my shopping. Yes, I'm fully aware not everyone has this convenience. And, like any other car, you got to sit with the manual and learn everything about it. Reading some of the comments of folks here; I'm sorry but EV's are going to be the future whether we like it or not. Not to sound all snarky but imagine the horse and carriage folks saying "America is not ready for the auto-mobile" or "I'll just stick to my ol trusty carriage" ; and I'm sure there were people who said something similar because they were against cars. The point I'm trying to get with this is, you can't stop progress. Yes, EV industry has still a lot to improve, the same way cars in it's infancy had their issues to face. But the work has to be a collaborative effort between the needs of the business and of the consumers. Oil industry is not very sustainable so we need to find alternatives.
I was talking to a Guy in Windermere in the Lakes UK , he was having a problem trying to charge his Polstar ev , he had rented it from Hertz after arriving from the US , he was given no instructions and he had never driven an ev before , this car had ruined his and his family’s holiday , the cost of charging a car in the UK is very expensive and problematic, and you would be lucky getting these charges to work , he said the only good thing that came out of this is that he would never buy an ev car .
My problem with the electric car market .... my story : I work at a large power plant - one of the biggest in the USA. I noticed a few guys had bought electric cars. I tried a couple of them out and determined I want one. Here was the best part - we have chargers here at work where workers can charge up - FOR FREE. This sealed the deal for me (go ahead and jerk around the price of gasoline , i won't have to care !). So i start my search for an decent AFFORDABLE electric car. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT. the very week I began my search , GM announces they are discontinuing production of the Bolt. Then they announce they are putting their efforts into electric trucks , SUVs and Cadillacs. meaning - WE DON'T WANT YOU BUYING A ELECTRIC FOR 30,000 dollars - WE WANT TO SELL YOU ONE FOR 70,000 AND UP... ! -- DEAL KILLER FOR ME. In short , they don't want the average person in these products,only the ones willing to mortgage their home to buy one....... just another toy for the affluent.
Cheaper to buy a Tesla Model 3 than a Camry and to own than a Corolla within 5 years 60k miles in many states. The standard Model 3 is listed on the Tesla website as having a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $32,740 after the EV tax credit is applied. With the added state rebate, the list price drops down to $25,240 in California!
@@Neojhun BS. You know that is not true. A gas tank will not ignite, batteries can and so. Problem is water will not put the batter fire out. It's a whole different kind of fire.
@@Neojhun Read on - Data obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request revealed that in 2019 the London Fire Brigade dealt with 54 electric vehicle fires compared with 1,898 petrol and diesel fires. Vehicle registration numbers from the Department for Transport (DfT) show there are 50,000-plus plug-in cars licensed in the capital out of a total 4.63 million licensed cars. Looking at the London Fire Brigade data, that would suggest an incident rate of 0.04% for petrol and diesel car fires, while the rate for plug-in vehicle is more than double at 0.1%. So far this year, there have been 1,021 petrol and diesel fires and 27 EV fires in the capital.
@@bondgabebond4907 "A gas tank will not ignite" is blatantly false, sure it does not start there but it can leak and be ignited by external source. Gas / Petrol can have a concussive fireball effect that expands at blistering speed no human can outrun. Meanwhile Battery fires just Flame slowly giving time for the occupants to crawl away.
@@andyduhamel1925 FYI that "50,000" includes a large proportion of PHEV with Petrol Engines and Fuel Tanks. 69,172 is the total number of Plug In vehicles in 2021. Most likely 50K was around year 2020 where Pure Electric BEVs were not the majority of Plug In vehicles. But lets ignore the fact some of those may also have petrol onboard to push a false agenda.
This is the first video of any electic vehicle being charged and the process and problems that comes with doing so . Thank you ! Adding this info to my knowledge of possibly getting an EV .
I rented the dual motor version of the same car and had a terrific experience. The Courtyard I stayed at offered free charging, but National didn't even require that I bring it back charged. The tremendous torque of the motors was addictive. The car's style and driving experience were fantastic.
After all the news stories of Hertz having people arrested, why is anyone still renting from them? I'm a former Gold member as well. Will never rent from them again.
Great Car had one for a few hours to do what I wanted did a mixture of city, motorways and backroads and it’s impressive how well it hides its weight. Leaving Cars behind certainly didn’t get old. Screen Nav and auto pilot system worked well.
Totally different experience with the same vehicle from Hertz UK. Rentals are reasonably priced, everything explained about the Polestar2 before departure and advice to bring back the car 75% charged, it is a beautiful car that is quite economical.
Just wanted to say thank you for reinforcing all of the things that I know I don’t like about the electric car delusion. If you have nowhere to go, and by no particular time, you could probably put up with spending 45 minutes and multiple attempts just to try to get your car charged up…whereas I can go to my Wawa, put in 12 gallons of regular gasoline in under three minutes, and be on my way. I have no idea what a polestar is, but I have a feeling that I know where our government wants to put that pole.
Can we all agree that the push for chargers to not have a card reader on them but instead apps are the worst thing ever? Like seriously, imagine if I needed an app to use a vending machine, I'd never use it. And hey, many gas stations have app support, you ever seen anyone use them?
That's their plan. When shit hits the fan they can just switch off peoples' ability to re-fuel their cars. We saw glimmers of it with the Covid shutdowns. A good way to keep people trapped in their own home or in their own local community is to disable their ability to purchase fuel. That's why they hate people buying gas with cash.
@@casmatoriif they wanted to do that, they don't need an app. They could simply disable the chargers... But everything has to be a conspiracy, doesn't it?
I rented a Model 3 from Hertz RSW in Fort Myers FL and it was Nothing but positive. Great range, clean car and easy to charge. They gave it to me at 85% SOC which was more than enough to get to my destination. Mine went well. Should’ve gotten a Tesla. My average range was 4.2 miles per KWH with AC on. Very impressive.
I rented a P2 twice in Fort Myers. Didn't have any problems like yours... It was a blast to drive... Faster than my mustang rentals including the GTH. And in the middle of FL, it was only .135¢ /kWh. So 65 minutes from 28% on the highspeed charger cost about $7.50 Those east coast prices are just like NY/NJ! Crazy. The best is, charging at home. Side note; just call the 800 number on the charger and you can get charging that way, no need for the app.
What Hertz should do is make a deal with charging providers so that you only have to plug the car in to the charger. The charger would then detect that this is a rental car and contact Hertz for a payment contract for this car. Hertz knows who rented the car so they can put the charging cost on the bill of the rental car to be paid when you return the car. From the end user's perspective, all you'd need to do is plug it in and then everything is automatic. edit: although having watched the whole video it looks like Hertz is a terrible company to deal and are clearly not interested in maintaining a good relationship with their customers so they are not going to do anything to make it easier.
lol, you fly your cessna from your house to the grocery store? It's not less complicated than driving an EV, you are just used to it. It might be less compliicated that dealing with Hertz, though.
"I also booked a Tesla and ended up with the Polestar 2. I was so happy. I loved the Polestar-everything about it as a car, and I am considering buying one... I was in the UK. The process went very well, but charging was hit-and-miss. As already mentioned, sometimes it didn’t work, chargers weren't there, slow charge, etc. One night, I needed a charge late at night, and it became quite stressful because one wasn’t there and another didn’t work; the hotel had a slow charge. I think it would be different if I lived there and was charging at home. LOVE the car; hate the charging."
I just had the same experience in Spain. Love handling and responsiveness of the car, but charging was an absolute nightmare, for the same reasons you mention. Here in Spain I had to download a crappy app at every place that had a charger, none of them worked well. We finally found a hotel that let us charge the car witout an app or anything and it worked, but took 5 hours to completely charged . Turned my vacation into a stressful search for a charger that worked.......Never again.
Trying to use an electric car without having a charger at your home is pointless. Who has 45 minutes to sit at a gas station? That’s the issue with electrics, they are only really viable for homeowners in single family houses.
Various other communities outside of single family homes are setting up chargers for their residents. EV's are the future but if you are considering buying one take the time to read up on it. It's a little bit of a change in lifestyle so it's best to understand it before buying.
@@sailorx72 Nope. EV will never be a main stream cars. Try to convince most Americans to switch to EV. Let's talk in 20 years. In short, not going to happen. 10-20% max of market will be EV in USA.
@@MichaelBushey wrong. Americans will go with what is more convenient. Until such time when charging stations will be available at every corner and charging time is comparable with current time to fill the tang of gas, EV will be exotic vehicles 🚗. Sure, some areas will reach perhaps 10%. But rural USA, nope.
@@sunshadow9704 every corner is way too far away. I charge in my garage, and it takes a few seconds to plug in and unplug. Gas stations are a huge time suck.
My husband rented a Polestar 2 on our most recent trip to Orlando for spring break. We own a Tesla model 3, so we are already experienced EV drivers. Everything you said in this video was spot on, the car itself was fine, but the charging experience and Hertz rental felt very early adopter. Great video, we would not rent an EV going forward, travelers do not need this level of stress, it’s just too painful.
Given my experience as a both a Hertz Gold President's Circle member and daily driver of an EV with CCS since 2014, I can't say I'm surprised. Even with my preferred status (thanks to a credit card not frequency), I've had issues on about 1 in 3 Hertz rentals. No doubt their EV fleet was pushed down from corporate primarily for PR purposes. They clearly didn't build a proper infrastructure and training for the locations/franchisees. Also your EA experience mirrors mine. Out of three attempts at their stations, I've had one success. And that was with a membership setup in advance. Luckily I'm in California so I have multiple options to avoid them. One thing I have learned through experience is that regardless of network when the EVSE failed to connect after two attempts, call customer service. They sometimes can force a connection remotely. At the very least it notifies them maintenance is required.
You would be happy with an EV if you can charge at home. If you're on a trip, staying at a hotel, it might prove to be a hassle to have to rely on public charging networks. Even if it was as easy and straight forward as "pay at the pump", you're still looking at 15-30 minutes at a charge station, rather than 5 minutes at a gas pump. If you have available "destination charging", you're going to like EV a lot more. Just plug in overnight, and it's ready in the morning, without having to go anywhere for a charge. If you intend to rent an EV, make sure to book a hotel, with that available level 2 charging. The charge interface cable will come with the rental.
I made it to 3:30 mins and I was done. Waaaaay too much work to figure out how to make the car go, and then, waaaay too much work to, well, make the car go. I'll admit that I'm technology resistant (don't even have a smart phone), but that dashboard is ridiculous.
I was in Denmark last week and rented a Polestar 2 from Avis. It went well and I only charged at Tesla Superchargers as I already have the app and know the stations. Had no problems what so ever with the car or the rental agency. I liked the car, but I felt it was a bit cramped, and I agree with you about the poor visibility, also from the side windows. I like my Tesla Model Y better. 😊
Next time rent a Tesla. No hassle charging. Works every time. It's why Ford, GM, Rivian, and Lucid, with Hyundai soon to follow, are changing over to Tesla's NACS and getting access to the Supercharger network.
as a Tesla owner never once did I thought "What if the only charging station on the road trip doesn't work and I don't have enough to get to the next charging station?" so glad Musk open those charging stations to the rest of the EV market. its a win/win for everyone.
I rented a polestar 2 from hertz here in Minnesota last Thursday and Friday, it went well except I knew nothing about electric cars, much charger anxiety, the first day I was ready to bring it back but the 2nd day was getting the hang of it more and more, the biggest help were other users at the charging stations, they were incredibly willing to help if you asked them, I would rent one again, I have a video on my you tube
Oh boy. Who would want this painful charging experience? And waiting an hour???? Instead of filling up in 2 minutes? Never ever ever ever. That said, I googled the info about returning hertz electric car, took me one second to find the answer that took this guy hours to find out. Maybe didn't use google?
@@Rocketsong Perfectly fine in AUS on 110c days. Then again we do not have Electrify America borked chargers here. Winter sucks though I just hate the cold, the chargers work fine as long you've been driving the car and it's already at temp.
I rented a Polestar from Hertz recently and my experience was different from yours. I was informed to return the car at the same level it was charged at by the attendant(same thing they do with gas cars). I will say my name was not on the board either but they did quickly tell me which spot the car was in. I had a great time and may consider buying one. I guess everyone's experience differs.
Rented the same car from Hertz : rented with 200 miles of range - returned at 140 miles of range remaining, I told the guy when I returned it that I didn't have a chance to recharge : he said have a nice day.
I feel like your only real problem was the pickup process from Hertz. The charging snafu was Electrify America's fault (well-known--that's why everyone is going with Tesla), and the amount of charge you need on return should be obvious: the same as you left with.
Thanks for your video. I had a different experience in Brussels. I rented the Polestar2 for 1 day. I asked about the charge policy at pickup and they accept an empty battery with no extra charge. But I returned the car 1 hour late. So initially I paid €126 for 1 day and for the extra hour they charged €140. I do not understand their fees. So bad experience with Hertz. The stereo was not setup and no way to get any radio station. Spotify through Apple CarPlay worked OK. Also the AC was turned off and I could not find the setting to get it running. Hertz did not setup the car before handing it over. Polestar 2 is a nice car to drive but for me it is hard to get in. I am 6.6 tall and my knee hits the center console each time I enter.
40 minutes waiting for recharge 34 to 90% that's about half tank on regular car 22 bucks ?? I fill up my car half tank in less than2 minutes for 17 dollars more and saved 38 minutes!!!!!!!
Would have been half that time if he charged to 80%. All EVs fast charge to 80%, then slow right down for the remaining 20% due safety reasons and protecting the battery.
The country is still on a learning curve regarding EV's - A bit of a novelty for rental caar companies. I'm not ready to jump - I like quick fill-ups, headroom, rural driving, simple credit card purchases. I guess I'll leave it to the early implementers to work out the bugs.
I rented a Tesla Model 3 through Hertz under Uber Electric Car Rental program. The quoted price was 300$ a week and when I returned the car I was charged 450$ a week plus recharge fee of 35$ even though the car was at 40% charge when I picked it up and I returned it at 60%. I was also charged a cleaning fee even though the car was filthy when I picked it up and ran it through the car wash+vacuum before dropping it off. Hertz Electric car rental plus Electrify America chargers is only for those who want to be duped and incredibly frustrated.
By sheer luck we rented a Polestar 2 in San Diego for spring break. I had a total blast driving during the week. Found a high speed charger at a park and ride about 5 min from our rental and charged two nights for about an hour total for around $50. It was an excellent experience and the first time I'd ever driven or had any experience with an EV.
So you can get a hefty fine for using your mobile device while driving , but it seems ok to use the device built into the vehicle while driving. Isn't that just as dangerous?.
The Polestar is a superb car if you like a great driving experience. The technological features inside the cabin are adequate but nothing special. Polestar was previously the racing division of Volvo and has since been sold to another carmaker. The car handles exceptionally well and if you have the performance model it goes 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. The base model will do 0-60 in about 6.5 seconds. The Polestar is more sports car than sedan.
I rented a Polestar 2 and was told that Hertz is not supplying a charging cord any more. I asked if I could have one anyway, because I had a house to go to with a garage where I could charge. The person repeated that it is not supplied any more because renters are ripping them off. I asked why can't you just take it off the $200 security deposit that you need to collect anyways? There seemed to be no answer to this. It is ridiculous not to supply a charging cord, and the reason the staff person gave does not make sense to me. I ordered one for $100 on Amazon and I am going to leave it in the family house for future EV drivers. It's really ridiculous not to supply the charging cord, and I won't be renting from Hertz again.
The title for this video….”it did not go well”…is very misleading. The Polestar is fine. What didn’t go well is how Hertz handled your rental. I had similar issues with Hertz at Heathrow/London. But the Polestar performed great, and no issues with charging in the UK (used shell and BP stations to re-charge). However Hertz @Heathrow Airport was horrible…from having to wait 90 minutes before i even got helped, and then providing no assistance on how to use the car, and finally, nickel and dimming me on everything when I returned the car a week later. i had a small scrape on the wheel rim that I got while parking, and Hertz charged me $200 for the repair. Every car rental company I have ever used, treats minor scratchers on the tire rim as “normal wear and tear”…but not Hertz.
Your experience is interesting. I recently rented a Tesla from Hertz and they sent me several emails with links to instructions on how to operate a Tesla. The instructions covered all of the basic info needed to operate the vehicle. Also I had no problems with Tesla charging network. Just plugged into the car and charging started immediately every time.
Strange. I rented a Tesla from Hertz a couple of weekends ago in Cincinnati. Not only did I received MANY emails in the week before renting that told me what the vehicle needed to be returned at, it was also on the printed out contract.
Just did a Google search of 'what level of charge does a hertz EV rental need to be returned at?' and the search returned the statement "We ask you to return the EV with at least the same level of charge or 75% (whichever is lower)." with a link to the 'Electric Vehicle Rental Terms' PDF from Hertz.
I just rented a Polestar 2 and asked the attendant when I was checking out what charge did I need to bring the car back (he said 70%) or do the charge option at $35. It was my first time renting an EV and just asked upfront.
8:44 By this this time, I would have been 40 minutes down the road in my surpringly clean and efficient ICE powered minivan and enjoying a 460 to 500-mile range.
I rented a Tesla from Hertz in March and none of this happened. They sent me multiple emails on how to use and explained the charge limits clearly though after I had initiated the rental. Ideally it would be in the rental process. Car was cheaper per day than the smallest car and took less than $10 to charge and about 30m using a supercharger that billed back to my rental. Overall it was super easy. Took some practice to drive the car but worked it out.
I did rent on. And they clearly told me it should be return at level when I left or I couple opt in for the $35. I charge sit to 100% and it cost $10. They got it back at 95%. No issues. The car is fabulous. But you are correct. No one explained how to charge. But they did give me a small pamphlet telling me where to watch the videos on what to do.
I mean when you rent a gasser they tell you to return it at the level you picked it up at. Most people will just fill the tank. So you'd figure the same rules would apply to BEV.
Literally just back from Orlando and also rented the same vehicle from hertz. HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. hardly any chargers worked, had to drive 30 min each way to find DC charger and many failed attempts at charging. Hertz also very unhelpful
I rented from Enterprise for 2.5 weeks while my ICE car was in the shop. They did explain how to use it and also explained the expectations so far as charge level upon return. I was at home (not on vacation, and just plugged it into 110v every night - I never once used a charge station.) The experience confirmed that as a daily driver for my job the range and 110v charging would be just fine. Regarding likes and dislikes of the car: I loved the front display behind the steering wheel - the 3D map view just makes perfect sense in that configuration. Driving position was very comfortable, and it was a blast to drive. I didn't care for the sunroof, as it was a black interior and doesn't have a way to filter the sun beyond the tinting. My BIGGEST dislike is one I've not heard anyone mention that drove me nuts, which is the key fob. The buttons are black (same as the body of the fob), tiny, and on the sides of the device. You have to look at it to know what you are about to press, which my 50+ year old eyes had a tough time with, especially at night. But overall I really liked the vehicle. When it is time to retire my current car, Polestar will be tops on my list to investigate further.
I recently rented a Tesla MY from Hertz and had a really effortless experience - but I'd reserved the vehicle a month in advance: About a week before I was to pick it up, Hertz began sending me informative emails about the vehicle every day. Each email covered one or two different points about driving a Tesla. The staff at the rental location (downtown Silver Springs, MD) asked me if I had ever driven a Tesla and if I needed any instruction, and made a point of telling me that I needed to return the vehicle with at least an 80% SOC (it was at 97% when I drove off the lot). What they couldn't tell me was the location of any nearby DC charging - but they knew where to find L2 AC charging spots. The vehicle, itself, told me that the nearest Supercharger was just about 3 miles away, in Chevy Chase. When I returned the vehicle the staff was equally solicitous, wanting to know about my experience with the vehicle. That said, I'd never rent a non-Tesla if I was going to be driving in an area with which I was unfamiliar: CCS charging infrastructure is sorely lacking in most of the US.
I’ve rented a Tesla Model Y from Hertz and my experience was so much better than yours. Using the Tesla Superchargers was easy and they ALWAYS worked the first time. All charges go to the credit card Hertz has on file (since renters don’t have access to Tesla app). When I made my reservation Hertz emailed me a few links to quick videos they made on how to unlock and lock the doors, how to start the car, and how to recharge it, I found those helpful. But I also did a ton of research on my own about ALL the features the Tesla offered. I was glad I did as whoever had it before me had turned off most of the electric car features to make it feel more like a gas engine car…which was not what I wanted. Like you, I was confused about what level of charge I needed to return the vehicle, since hertz doesn’t make that clear….but they DO have rules about it. I never did get a satisfactory answer from Hertz so I just made sure it was close to 80%.
@@eleventy-seven Look at the EV sales stats for the first half of 2023. The number of new Tesla Model Y vehicles purchased during that period dwarf the number that Volvo and other have sold. And Tesla has presumably been building out their charging network for some time now to handle the grow of their own cars, which far exceed that of other brands. Even with the huge increase of Tesla Model 3 and Model Y cars this year, I've yet have to to wait in line on the occasions I need to charge on a road trip. That all said, mostly I charge my Tesla at home.
@@eleventy-seven But Tesla is currently working on expanding their network to accommodate everyone. In another video they said their location is currently expanding from about 10 stations to 20 with further plans to add an additional 50 Tesla charging stations. And more and more locations will be added as well. Honestly, electric charging may be very good for the convenience store market! I never go in to the store when filling my ICE car. But went into everyone and made a purchase when waiting for my electric vehicle to charge.
@@eleventy-seven Tesla is rapidly building a lot more super charger. Plus, most other charging station companies have said they will start adding the “Tesla” plug to their stations too.
I rented a Tesla Model 3 short range from Hertz. They gave me a Model Y Long Range. They explained to me how to operate the car and said they were flexible about the charge but to at least bring back 10% charged. Was reasonable and good experience. Charging the Tesla was no problem.
@@markvincent5992 Don't buy a Ford or GM. Tesla's are blowing away legacy auto because they're much cheaper and better. $75K will get you a pair of Model 3s
Surprised it wasn’t. Polestar doesn’t enjoy a good reputation for being reliable. Will you explain to me why this push to electric vehicles when places like California can barely keep up with demand now? And no, you can’t just add more transformers. Not when the lines are close to melting.
You're lucky regarding the paperwork. Hertz has multiple lawsuits alleging they report cars stolen that were returned by the customer. The paperwork snafu you went through explains why that happens.
I had a similar experience with Hertz in Philadelphia. The first time I rented a Tesla with them there was no recharge fee. The second time there was. When I asked where the recharge fees are listed I was told the agent at the exit gate should have told me about the fee. He didn’t. Hertz agreed to remove the fee and I concluded that I will not rent another EV from them.
Yep Polestar 2 was not designed ground up for high performance Level 3 DC Fast charging. Many other BEVs are much better, 30 Minutes for a 10 to 85% charge giving 240 miles range should be the industry standard.
I have been renting a Polestar by Hertz in Europe for 5 days now and found it to be faultless, The navigation system is absolutely brilliant and the car is a pleasure to drive.
I rented a Polestar 2 from CLT a few weeks ago. Every part of the experience was amazing. So easy to pick up and return the car and the car was awesome.
I had a 2014 BMW i3 from 2018 until 3 months ago, the battery degraded to the point that I did not feel comfortable selling the car private party. Instead, I did what any frustrated petrolhead would do, I traded it on a used 2014 BMW M5. I would say that is the exact polar opposite of the i3. No regrets at all, I will not miss the i3 at all and can honestly say, that was my last electric car.
On my second Tesla after 5 yrs, travel regularly, never had a problem with Tesla superchargers. They are seamless, now charge 20- 80% in about 15-20 mins
I agree, if you can't charge at home. If you have to rely solely on public charging, you could be in for a similar experience to this video. To do it for a short period, just to 'try it out', would be a fun learning experience, but, to have to deal with this all the time, I don't think I would get an EV. Since I can charge at home, my next car WILL be an EV. It costs me $.08 per mile to drive my Toyota Prius, (gasoline $4.00 per gallon) It cost me $.0285 per mile, to drive a 2023 Chevy Bolt EUV, charging at home, (Electricity, $.114 per kWh) That's just over 1/3 the cost of gasoline in one of the best hybrids out there. The Prius averages about 50 MPG, the Bolt EUV averaged about 4 miles per kWh, measured at the outlet I plugged it into. "Plug to Pavement". Public charging, different story! If I charged at $.50 per kWh, it costs EXACTLY $.08 per mile to drive the Bolt, The same as the Prius!! With the Prius, you can do a "splash and dash", get 250 miles of range in less than 3 minutes, 1/10 the time it would take, to get even 150 miles in an EV battery.
I rented a Tesla Model 3 from Hertz in Cincinnati over Easter this spring. Hertz did just fine. They spent 10-15min with me explaining how the car worked and they were very explicit about fees for returning at various charge levels. I had to return at 80% to avoid any fees. The one thing they didn't explain was about how charging worked. I also received several emails before the trip that gave me opportunity to learn how the car worked and locate the charging stations. However, I had the same issues charging as you did, even at a Tesla supercharger station. I got 'charging error', then went to another non-Tesla charging station, that didn't work, went back to the first charging station and somehow it worked. weird. The night before, I charged it again and had no problem. In total, it cost me $13.50 in charging from 35% to 100%. Then I had to go from the charging station in West Chester 10mi to my hotel in Mason, then 35mi to the airport the next morning the battery was now down to 79%, and thankfully, Hertz let it slide. Charging cost was $13.50 for about 200mi, or a third of the cost of gas. About the car, it was exact opposite of what I expected. I loved driving it, plenty of power to punch it and get hard acceleration, even at highway speeds. However, I absolutely hated the tech, it's anything but intuitive. for example, To open the trunk, you first have to swipe the key-card by the door, get in the car, swipe it by the glove box to turn the car on, then touch the center screen image to open the trunk. Whatever happened to just having a FOB in your pocket and just going up to the trunk and pressing a button at the trunk? Nope, that would be too easy. Then it gets worse from there because it's not menu driven nor intuitive. there are too many common tasks that are buried too deep and take multiple commands just to get there.
The key fob all Tesla owners get does all you asked. Hertz giving you only the key card is not great. Although, with the key card you should have been able to program your phone as a key (unless they disable that feature), but that's not something I would expect a new renter to figure out. Again, Hertz could do better.
I think a better title would have been "Hertz doesn't know how to rent EVs, and EA isn't a solid charging network"....because it sounds like you liked the car. But the title more or less implies there was a problem with the car.
I rented the "Manager's Special EV" from Hertz. Got there, could do Polestar or Tesla. Last time I rented, they told me bring it back in any state of charge. I asked this time - nope, same rip-you-off nonsense as mentioned in this video. Just charge more for the car and include the charging. I get that there is a cost to install electrical lines into the garages and lots that Hertz uses, but they're treating this like gas cars which is silly. And when I found out I had to return it with a certain state of charge, I picked the Tesla even though I really wanted to try the Polestar (I am a Tesla owner) because of the charging infrastructure. Every story I hear about Electrify America is like this one - unreliable, hard to use. I have had a few issues charging with Tesla, but 95% of the time I just plug it in and it works, no credit card, no hassle and charging is fast enough. I have no trouble traveling with my Tesla, but any other EV, I'd just consider it an around-town car and never take it on trips.
Rental companies, car dealerships, and service centers all need training. The Tesla Supercharger network is a bright spot in this whole transition and would make some of these problems go away if Polestar joined the North American Charging Standard (using Tesla NACS connector). Communication is key and it was sorely lacking at Hertz.
When Hertz started renting EV's, I called with the same question. They told me they the only way to get that information would be to rent one. It seems that you don't even know then. Thanks for the video!
You need to make clearer that the "it did not go well" was about 99.9% Hertz and about 0.1% Polestar. Misleading.
I would add 70% hertz, 30% us loading infrastructure ;)
Another Polestar hater ..
I would go as far as saying 100% Hertz and 0% Polestar.
I have recently rented a polestar in the exact same location.
My issue was that we were given zero info on how or where to charge. This was especially difficult as coming from the UK I could not download any of the charge point apps, when I could I was unable to use a British bank card, add to the fact that the car did not come with a home charger I spent the entire trip panicking about where to top up. I contacted hertz and all they did to support was give me locations of charge points I could not use or were broken.
The car itself was perfect!
@@darylliney70 agreed - All very fair points, and further highlight how purposely misleading this video's title is!
Misleading? Is this your first youtube video ever?
I had a “normal” car reserved at Hertz for a recent week long business trip. My flight was a bit delayed so I arrived at the Providence (RI) airport later than planned and the only car Hertz had left was a Model 3. It only had about 35% of a charge and the location I was visiting had ZERO level 2 chargers, much less any fast chargers. It was late and I wanted to get to my room, so I took the car.
Fortunately, the hotel where I was staying had a 120V outlet close enough to the parking lot so that I could use the Level 1 charger that was (thankfully) still in the trunk. I wasn’t driving pre than about 10-12 miles per day when there, so the slow charge was adequate, but it did cause me some extra stress on the trip.
I enjoyed driving the electric car, but would have enjoyed it more under different circumstances.
Sending a customer out with a low charge to begin with was a bum move, too.
I handle charging for Hertz at PHX, and it's disturbing how many Teslas get rented out without the charging kit and/or the Tesla charging adapter. The customers don't know to make sure they have it before they leave, and most employees either don't know it's supposed to be there or care enough to check.
@@stevelovescars yeah i don’t understand this. If the gas car has to be on full when you collect it and bring it back it should be the same for the EV. I rent from Hertz to drive Uber we Uber drivers probably make up 3/4 of the money they make paying $600 a week for Tesla rentals and they literally give us filthy cars with no charge all the time but will charge a cleaning fee if you bring it back dirty. Smfh….
Just rented and drove my first EV ever and it’s a Polestar 2 from Hertz. When I was checking out the woman mentioned something about gas, I said, “this is an EV”, she was like, “oh”. Needless to say there was zero help about anything, I pretty much had to figure everything out on the fly. Thankfully, TH-cam videos like yours have been very helpful!
At least you didn't get put in jail on a false auto theft report. That's a win any time you rent from Hertz. 🙄
Sounds like someone held onto the car longer than the drop off period and ignroed the calls.
No, it really sounds like HERTZ did put people in jail by reporting the cars stolen when the were legitimate rental’s within the rental periods, they messed up ( Hertz ) and those people didn’t deserve to be treated as criminals.
@@supersai4198 Sounds like someone has been living under a rock. A huge rock!!
@@supersai4198 It sounds like you’re not familiar with what everyone is talking about. Do some research. Hertz is known to rent cars to people, then arrest them after, saying they stole the car. The cases become nightmares. In one, they threw a man in jail for six full months! He lost his job and his house. In one case, the person never even rented a car from Hertz. I’d rather Uber than rent a car from Hertz.
Hertz has been sued for the false arrest of their customers due to problematic paperwork issues. It sounds like what you described as your pickup experience is exactly why I don't rent from Hertz. You would think since all the National attention that story got they would have jumped on making corrections but it doesn't appear that way.
I rented a Tesla from Hertz a couple of months ago from the Orlando airport. Prior to making the reservation I called Hertz to ask what the charge return level policy was (70%) because, like you, I couldn’t find it on the website. I initially thought of renting the Polestar as I had never been in one before, but found there were no compatible chargers in the area I would be staying. There was however a Tesla charging station less than 2 miles away, charged there twice and at another station with no issues. Charging fees will get added to your final rental costs, no need to mess around with credit cards, apps or accounts. I didn’t get any instructions on how to use the Tesla from Hertz but I had driven them a few times before so no problem. Was disappointed I had no way of connecting with the Tesla app. Otherwise no problems, pleasure to drive, and I would do it again.
I just love sitting in the Florida heat waiting for my battery to charge!
We had a similar story and it is a long one. My wife had an urgent trip to Harrisburg, PA in early 2023, she booked a car using one of those discounted websites and got a confirmation from Hertz. Once landed she headed to the car renting counter and after a long wait she received the last car on the lot, and it was a Polestar. Being know nothing about electric cars she called me for help because Hertz's agent did not show her how to operate the car. After a quick Google search, I was able to instruct her to start the car, and she was on her way to her destination 60 miles ago away from the nearest city.
After reaching her destination, the car showed that it now had about 90 miles of range left. I urged her to go find a charge station the next day. This is where the fun started, she stayed at a small suburb when the nearest Chargepoint is about 40 miles away, and since she had used up some of the ranges through the day she only had about 20 miles left according to the car. She found a Shell station that has its own charger, after fumbling with the app she had to put in $20 for the initial opening, and after a long phone call with me, she was able to make the car charge. She then waited and waited for over 2 hours then called me again saying there was only 10% up so far. I then told her to wait so it has enough charge to get to the hotel and the trip back to the airport, which took her another 2 hours to the wee hours of the night in a strange town (good thing it was at Shell station which she was able to wait inside). For the rest of the trip, she called Uber. The good thing was she only spent $2 on an electric charge for almost 200 miles of use, the bad thing was the remaining $18 is of no use nor refunded. Oh, she did not know how to operate all the other functions of the car so she left them in whatever it was set at.
The morals of the story are, one, do not rent an electric car if you are not familiar with it; two, do not fall for cheap rental advertisements on the web. Third, do not buy an electric car until there is infrastructure in place everywhere and the charging is as closely fast as filling up a gas tank.
Terrible story. Your wife is lucky she made it.
Sounds like the gripe is more with the Hertz location and the charging network than Hertz in general or with the car. I rented a Tesla Model 3 in London and again in the US. Positive experience both times. The first time in London, they took 15 minutes to go over driving an EV in general and the specifics of the Model 3. Both times, they carefully explained the charge level to return it at and the $35 option. Charging at a Tesla fast charger was brain dead easy. Pull up, plug it in, charge, and leave. No app, no hassle.
If you are in a shithole like London you have bigger problems than what car you are driving.
I rented Polestar 2 from Hertz at Eindhoven airport and everything went as smooth as possible. I received the car with 94% battery and returned it with about 50%. I asked about charge level on return and they said that I don't have to worry about that and there is no fee for charge level difference. Hertz staff gave me hertz tag which I used to pay for charging at any charging station anywhere in Netherlands. No credit card needed what so ever. After returning the car they charged me about 23 euro for 500km traveled with Polestar 2.
hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So as we now know - Hertz clerks manning the front desk HAVE NO CLUE how to either operate the electric TOY car or what to charge for battery status when the TOY is returned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No doubt some senior mechanic will add a re-charge fee to your revised credit card bill at a later date!!!!!!
@@abellseaman4114 You are so wrong my friend you can't imagine how much. She was very well informed about specifications of Polestar 2 and we had one very nice and profound conversation about the difference between Polestar and Kia e-Niro, which was my initial rental vehicle. We even touch Tesla Model 3 talking about the differences. I've never met any woman that well informed about cars in general. Hertz returned me deposit on my credit card so after a couple of months from visiting Netherlands i consider everything done. Maybe, just maybe a speeding ticket or two if any camera recorded me.
@@mitrovskiigi So, Hertz in the Netherlands as their act together while Hertz in the USA hasn't figured it out. That Hertz gave you a card to use for charging and handled the billing seems wonderful and apparently didn't gouge you for the service.
Thank you for wasting our time by offering that LIE-beral electric TOY car nonsense propaganda!!!!!!!
The reported experiences of multiple electric TOY car users make your comments ABSURD!!!!!!!!!!!
Considering how often Hertz has legitimate renters arrested and jailed for stealing cars which they have already paid for and turned back in to Hertz, I think it went pretty well for you.
When I started renting vehicles back in the 90’s I did my due diligence and researched all the mainstream companies and Hertz was immediately a no-go….higher rates and caps on mileage, and even though they had better choices, still wasn’t worth it. After watching this, apparently they still aren’t! Wasn’t it also Hertz that was having customers mistakingly arrested over glitches, etc. in their system awhile back?
Very informative.... and the issue is not with the car but with the rental company and the charging station.
The charge time alone is a deal breaker for me. That’s insane.
agreed! imagine having to wait 45 minutes to get 3/4 of a tank of gas!!!
Yup thats why you get the adapter for the Tesla supercharger so it only takes 30 mins to charge instead of 2 hrs.
@ that’s why I own a ‘23 Honda accord touring hybrid, gets 50+mpg and it takes 5mins to fully fill the 12gal gas tank.
@@johnnypk1963 thats cool but the car still emits pollutants which is bad for everyone breathing it in.
@ u do realize that the batteries in both our cars r mined from the ground then shipped around the world requiring massive diesel and marine engines some of the most polluting engines on the planet and it’s not even close to get to manufacturing plants then shipped again to the vehicle assembly plants.
EVs only make sense as a commuter car and when you can charge at home with low cost electricity. My electric rate is only 10.5c/kwh delivered so it costs about 1/3 of what gas costs. Sadly, this is not the case for most locations in the US.
Zelbug - The manufactures of EV cars direct their focus on exactly drivers like you, not the rental car market. I imagine you rarely if ever use a commercial charging station. That is exactly the goal.
So have to buy two cars instead of one ? No thanks .
Had one in Italy for 34 days.....was same price as a Mini so opted for the Polestar luxury...watched video before i left on how to use the controls and planned my trip re chargers....many free ones in Italy....had a blast with it
I wanted to try out an EV, so I rented a Nissan Leaf on Turo. I needed to download multiple apps, constantly searching for an available charger (range anxiety), wasting time using slow, expensive chargers. And both hills and a/c significantly cut range in this car. No thanks. Keep your hassle.
You rented what has to be the most rubbish of rubbish EVs. Similarly, I could rent some shonky low rent cheap as chips Skoda and pronounce all Petrol and diesel cars are therefore rubbish as well. Ironically, I went to an ASDA supermarket here in the UK and was presented with a pump that only accepted credit cards. No attendant and for some reason at 11pm, none of the bloody things worked. All the pumps were not accepting cards.
This past October, I rented an EV from Hertz on my Boston trip. I initially reserved a Tesla Model 3 but was given a Polestar 2 instead. The Hertz rep told me as long as it was over 20%, I didn't bring the car trashed or a total wreck, I wasn't going to be charged any penalties. I returned the car back at 64% clean, and in one piece. The Hertz rep kept to his word and I was not charged any penalties.
I did not mind at all because Polestar gave me the feel of a regular car and not the extra bells and whistles a Tesla offers. It was only for 24 hours but I completely fell in love with Polestar. So much when I came back home, I purchased one. It was my first experience with an EV and I found it to be very intuitive. I don't have a charger installed and I really don't mind going to a charging station because there is one behind my corner grocery store and I plan my charging on the days I have to do my shopping. Yes, I'm fully aware not everyone has this convenience. And, like any other car, you got to sit with the manual and learn everything about it.
Reading some of the comments of folks here; I'm sorry but EV's are going to be the future whether we like it or not. Not to sound all snarky but imagine the horse and carriage folks saying "America is not ready for the auto-mobile" or "I'll just stick to my ol trusty carriage" ; and I'm sure there were people who said something similar because they were against cars. The point I'm trying to get with this is, you can't stop progress. Yes, EV industry has still a lot to improve, the same way cars in it's infancy had their issues to face. But the work has to be a collaborative effort between the needs of the business and of the consumers. Oil industry is not very sustainable so we need to find alternatives.
How much is it to charge at your grocery store?
Well said!
I booked a tesla model 3 from the Hertz app. The morning of the rental they called to tell me they don't have any at that location, and never do.
At least Hertz didn't report your Polestar stolen while you were renting it! (See several Steve Lehto videos regarding Hertz's screwups).
it ain't over yet ... Hertz may STILL pull their idiotic stunt ...
I was talking to a Guy in Windermere in the Lakes UK , he was having a problem trying to charge his Polstar ev , he had rented it from Hertz after arriving from the US , he was given no instructions and he had never driven an ev before , this car had ruined his and his family’s holiday , the cost of charging a car in the UK is very expensive and problematic, and you would be lucky getting these charges to work , he said the only good thing that came out of this is that he would never buy an ev car .
My problem with the electric car market .... my story :
I work at a large power plant - one of the biggest in the USA. I noticed a few guys had bought electric cars. I tried a couple of them out and determined I want one. Here was the best part - we have chargers here at work where workers can charge up - FOR FREE. This sealed the deal for me (go ahead and jerk around the price of gasoline , i won't have to care !).
So i start my search for an decent AFFORDABLE electric car. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT.
the very week I began my search , GM announces they are discontinuing production of the Bolt. Then they announce they are putting their efforts into electric trucks , SUVs and Cadillacs. meaning - WE DON'T WANT YOU BUYING A ELECTRIC FOR 30,000 dollars - WE WANT TO SELL YOU ONE FOR 70,000 AND UP... ! -- DEAL KILLER FOR ME.
In short , they don't want the average person in these products,only the ones willing to mortgage their home to buy one....... just another toy for the affluent.
Buy a used Tesla. Their resale values are very low, even for just a couple of years old and very low miles.
Buy a used Tesla like the guy below suggests! Of course they want to sell you cars......Elon definitely wants to sell you an electric car...go for it!
Cheaper to buy a Tesla Model 3 than a Camry and to own than a Corolla within 5 years 60k miles in many states.
The standard Model 3 is listed on the Tesla website as having a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $32,740 after the EV tax credit is applied. With the added state rebate, the list price drops down to $25,240 in California!
For now, but not forever. Give it a few years
I got a new EV for 12k€ (after subsidies)
I dont think I could buy any combustion car for this money
....and then it spontaneously caught fire. That was Saturday. Still burning.
Stop with the absurd nonsense. The probability of fire is multiple times lower than an ICE car.
@@Neojhun BS. You know that is not true. A gas tank will not ignite, batteries can and so. Problem is water will not put the batter fire out. It's a whole different kind of fire.
@@Neojhun Read on - Data obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request revealed that in 2019 the London Fire Brigade dealt with 54 electric vehicle fires compared with 1,898 petrol and diesel fires.
Vehicle registration numbers from the Department for Transport (DfT) show there are 50,000-plus plug-in cars licensed in the capital out of a total 4.63 million licensed cars.
Looking at the London Fire Brigade data, that would suggest an incident rate of 0.04% for petrol and diesel car fires, while the rate for plug-in vehicle is more than double at 0.1%. So far this year, there have been 1,021 petrol and diesel fires and 27 EV fires in the capital.
@@bondgabebond4907 "A gas tank will not ignite" is blatantly false, sure it does not start there but it can leak and be ignited by external source.
Gas / Petrol can have a concussive fireball effect that expands at blistering speed no human can outrun. Meanwhile Battery fires just Flame slowly giving time for the occupants to crawl away.
@@andyduhamel1925 FYI that "50,000" includes a large proportion of PHEV with Petrol Engines and Fuel Tanks. 69,172 is the total number of Plug In vehicles in 2021. Most likely 50K was around year 2020 where Pure Electric BEVs were not the majority of Plug In vehicles. But lets ignore the fact some of those may also have petrol onboard to push a false agenda.
This is the first video of any electic vehicle being charged and the process and problems that comes with doing so . Thank you ! Adding this info to my knowledge of possibly getting an EV .
I rented the dual motor version of the same car and had a terrific experience. The Courtyard I stayed at offered free charging, but National didn't even require that I bring it back charged. The tremendous torque of the motors was addictive. The car's style and driving experience were fantastic.
23 bucks for 50 miles????????????????
An inditement of Electrify America, the most confusing, inconsistent, and frustrating charging network in the country.
After all the news stories of Hertz having people arrested, why is anyone still renting from them? I'm a former Gold member as well. Will never rent from them again.
You should change the title of this video to "Hertz and Electrify America are bad. Polestar 2 is good"
Polestar is crap car, for real.
@@bluechex7881.... how do you know this? Do you own one? Have you spent any time driving one?
Great Car had one for a few hours to do what I wanted did a mixture of city, motorways and backroads and it’s impressive how well it hides its weight. Leaving Cars behind certainly didn’t get old. Screen Nav and auto pilot system worked well.
Totally different experience with the same vehicle from Hertz UK.
Rentals are reasonably priced, everything explained about the Polestar2 before departure and advice to bring back the car 75% charged, it is a beautiful car that is quite economical.
Just wanted to say thank you for reinforcing all of the things that I know I don’t like about the electric car delusion. If you have nowhere to go, and by no particular time, you could probably put up with spending 45 minutes and multiple attempts just to try to get your car charged up…whereas I can go to my Wawa, put in 12 gallons of regular gasoline in under three minutes, and be on my way. I have no idea what a polestar is, but I have a feeling that I know where our government wants to put that pole.
Can we all agree that the push for chargers to not have a card reader on them but instead apps are the worst thing ever? Like seriously, imagine if I needed an app to use a vending machine, I'd never use it. And hey, many gas stations have app support, you ever seen anyone use them?
That's their plan. When shit hits the fan they can just switch off peoples' ability to re-fuel their cars. We saw glimmers of it with the Covid shutdowns. A good way to keep people trapped in their own home or in their own local community is to disable their ability to purchase fuel. That's why they hate people buying gas with cash.
@@casmatoriif they wanted to do that, they don't need an app. They could simply disable the chargers...
But everything has to be a conspiracy, doesn't it?
You really should change the headline of this video. It really deals more with the poor service from Hertz than anything else.
I rented a Model 3 from Hertz RSW in Fort Myers FL and it was Nothing but positive. Great range, clean car and easy to charge. They gave it to me at 85% SOC which was more than enough to get to my destination. Mine went well. Should’ve gotten a Tesla. My average range was 4.2 miles per KWH with AC on. Very impressive.
I rented a P2 twice in Fort Myers. Didn't have any problems like yours...
It was a blast to drive... Faster than my mustang rentals including the GTH.
And in the middle of FL, it was only .135¢ /kWh. So 65 minutes from 28% on the highspeed charger cost about $7.50
Those east coast prices are just like NY/NJ!
Crazy.
The best is, charging at home.
Side note; just call the 800 number on the charger and you can get charging that way, no need for the app.
What Hertz should do is make a deal with charging providers so that you only have to plug the car in to the charger. The charger would then detect that this is a rental car and contact Hertz for a payment contract for this car. Hertz knows who rented the car so they can put the charging cost on the bill of the rental car to be paid when you return the car. From the end user's perspective, all you'd need to do is plug it in and then everything is automatic.
edit: although having watched the whole video it looks like Hertz is a terrible company to deal and are clearly not interested in maintaining a good relationship with their customers so they are not going to do anything to make it easier.
It's less complicated and quicker for me to fly my Cessna than deal with all these headaches.
lol, you fly your cessna from your house to the grocery store? It's not less complicated than driving an EV, you are just used to it. It might be less compliicated that dealing with Hertz, though.
"I also booked a Tesla and ended up with the Polestar 2. I was so happy. I loved the Polestar-everything about it as a car, and I am considering buying one... I was in the UK. The process went very well, but charging was hit-and-miss. As already mentioned, sometimes it didn’t work, chargers weren't there, slow charge, etc. One night, I needed a charge late at night, and it became quite stressful because one wasn’t there and another didn’t work; the hotel had a slow charge. I think it would be different if I lived there and was charging at home.
LOVE the car; hate the charging."
I just had the same experience in Spain. Love handling and responsiveness of the car, but charging was an absolute nightmare, for the same reasons you mention. Here in Spain I had to download a crappy app at every place that had a charger, none of them worked well. We finally found a hotel that let us charge the car witout an app or anything and it worked, but took 5 hours to completely charged . Turned my vacation into a stressful search for a charger that worked.......Never again.
Trying to use an electric car without having a charger at your home is pointless. Who has 45 minutes to sit at a gas station? That’s the issue with electrics, they are only really viable for homeowners in single family houses.
Various other communities outside of single family homes are setting up chargers for their residents. EV's are the future but if you are considering buying one take the time to read up on it. It's a little bit of a change in lifestyle so it's best to understand it before buying.
@@sailorx72 Nope. EV will never be a main stream cars. Try to convince most Americans to switch to EV. Let's talk in 20 years. In short, not going to happen. 10-20% max of market will be EV in USA.
@@sunshadow9704 American will go with what's cheap, and in the case of EVs also better. Evs are much simpler than ICE.
@@MichaelBushey wrong. Americans will go with what is more convenient. Until such time when charging stations will be available at every corner and charging time is comparable with current time to fill the tang of gas, EV will be exotic vehicles 🚗. Sure, some areas will reach perhaps 10%. But rural USA, nope.
@@sunshadow9704 every corner is way too far away. I charge in my garage, and it takes a few seconds to plug in and unplug. Gas stations are a huge time suck.
How wonderful this adventure would be at night and criminals circling for the kill or whatever fun they might be planning!
Have this car for almost a month now, and I'm fking in love with it!
My husband rented a Polestar 2 on our most recent trip to Orlando for spring break. We own a Tesla model 3, so we are already experienced EV drivers. Everything you said in this video was spot on, the car itself was fine, but the charging experience and Hertz rental felt very early adopter. Great video, we would not rent an EV going forward, travelers do not need this level of stress, it’s just too painful.
Given my experience as a both a Hertz Gold President's Circle member and daily driver of an EV with CCS since 2014, I can't say I'm surprised. Even with my preferred status (thanks to a credit card not frequency), I've had issues on about 1 in 3 Hertz rentals. No doubt their EV fleet was pushed down from corporate primarily for PR purposes. They clearly didn't build a proper infrastructure and training for the locations/franchisees. Also your EA experience mirrors mine. Out of three attempts at their stations, I've had one success. And that was with a membership setup in advance. Luckily I'm in California so I have multiple options to avoid them. One thing I have learned through experience is that regardless of network when the EVSE failed to connect after two attempts, call customer service. They sometimes can force a connection remotely. At the very least it notifies them maintenance is required.
You would be happy with an EV if you can charge at home. If you're on a trip, staying at a hotel, it might prove to be a hassle to have to rely on public charging networks. Even if it was as easy and straight forward as "pay at the pump", you're still looking at 15-30 minutes at a charge station, rather than 5 minutes at a gas pump. If you have available "destination charging", you're going to like EV a lot more. Just plug in overnight, and it's ready in the morning, without having to go anywhere for a charge. If you intend to rent an EV, make sure to book a hotel, with that available level 2 charging. The charge interface cable will come with the rental.
So true. I'm Hertz Gold in California as well and I couldn't agree more with what you just said.
I made it to 3:30 mins and I was done. Waaaaay too much work to figure out how to make the car go, and then, waaaay too much work to, well, make the car go. I'll admit that I'm technology resistant (don't even have a smart phone), but that dashboard is ridiculous.
I was in Denmark last week and rented a Polestar 2 from Avis. It went well and I only charged at Tesla Superchargers as I already have the app and know the stations. Had no problems what so ever with the car or the rental agency. I liked the car, but I felt it was a bit cramped, and I agree with you about the poor visibility, also from the side windows. I like my Tesla Model Y better. 😊
You must work for Tesla.
@@tms372 "rented a Polestar 2 from Avis, It went well" You just ignored the comment.
This is why I bought a Tesla. The charging network sold me as it made the car very practical for travel.
Next time rent a Tesla. No hassle charging. Works every time. It's why Ford, GM, Rivian, and Lucid, with Hyundai soon to follow, are changing over to Tesla's NACS and getting access to the Supercharger network.
as a Tesla owner never once did I thought "What if the only charging station on the road trip doesn't work and I don't have enough to get to the next charging station?" so glad Musk open those charging stations to the rest of the EV market. its a win/win for everyone.
I rented a polestar 2 from hertz here in Minnesota last Thursday and Friday, it went well except I knew nothing about electric cars, much charger anxiety, the first day I was ready to bring it back but the 2nd day was getting the hang of it more and more, the biggest help were other users at the charging stations, they were incredibly willing to help if you asked them, I would rent one again, I have a video on my you tube
What is the name of your channel? I would like to see your video...
Oh boy. Who would want this painful charging experience? And waiting an hour???? Instead of filling up in 2 minutes? Never ever ever ever. That said, I googled the info about returning hertz electric car, took me one second to find the answer that took this guy hours to find out. Maybe didn't use google?
Plus, imagine going through all that when it's -25 degrees and snowing
and you'll be doing it more often.
Or 115 plus if you're in the South West.
@@petercollingwood522 Don't be silly. It was only 114 today. ;-) Wait till summer really hits.
@@Rocketsong Perfectly fine in AUS on 110c days. Then again we do not have Electrify America borked chargers here. Winter sucks though I just hate the cold, the chargers work fine as long you've been driving the car and it's already at temp.
I rented a Polestar from Hertz recently and my experience was different from yours. I was informed to return the car at the same level it was charged at by the attendant(same thing they do with gas cars). I will say my name was not on the board either but they did quickly tell me which spot the car was in. I had a great time and may consider buying one. I guess everyone's experience differs.
Same - I was informed of the $35 CPO fee, which I opted for. My vehicle was at 87% when I started it for the first time.
Rented the same car from Hertz : rented with 200 miles of range - returned at 140 miles of range remaining, I told the guy when I returned it that I didn't have a chance to recharge : he said have a nice day.
I feel like your only real problem was the pickup process from Hertz. The charging snafu was Electrify America's fault (well-known--that's why everyone is going with Tesla), and the amount of charge you need on return should be obvious: the same as you left with.
I rented a Polestar 2 from Hertz just last month. It was absolutely brilliant! I would love to own one of these cars.
Thanks for your video.
I had a different experience in Brussels. I rented the Polestar2 for 1 day. I asked about the charge policy at pickup and they accept an empty battery with no extra charge. But I returned the car 1 hour late.
So initially I paid €126 for 1 day and for the extra hour they charged €140.
I do not understand their fees. So bad experience with Hertz. The stereo was not setup and no way to get any radio station. Spotify through Apple CarPlay worked OK. Also the AC was turned off and I could not find the setting to get it running. Hertz did not setup the car before handing it over.
Polestar 2 is a nice car to drive but for me it is hard to get in. I am 6.6 tall and my knee hits the center console each time I enter.
40 minutes waiting for recharge 34 to 90% that's about half tank on regular car 22 bucks ??
I fill up my car half tank in less than2 minutes for 17 dollars more and saved 38 minutes!!!!!!!
Would have been half that time if he charged to 80%. All EVs fast charge to 80%, then slow right down for the remaining 20% due safety reasons and protecting the battery.
@@pokeman7431 Still much longer than gasoline with much less energy put in....
The country is still on a learning curve regarding EV's - A bit of a novelty for rental caar companies. I'm not ready to jump - I like quick fill-ups, headroom, rural driving, simple credit card purchases. I guess I'll leave it to the early implementers to work out the bugs.
I rented a Tesla Model 3 through Hertz under Uber Electric Car Rental program. The quoted price was 300$ a week and when I returned the car I was charged 450$ a week plus recharge fee of 35$ even though the car was at 40% charge when I picked it up and I returned it at 60%. I was also charged a cleaning fee even though the car was filthy when I picked it up and ran it through the car wash+vacuum before dropping it off. Hertz Electric car rental plus Electrify America chargers is only for those who want to be duped and incredibly frustrated.
By sheer luck we rented a Polestar 2 in San Diego for spring break. I had a total blast driving during the week. Found a high speed charger at a park and ride about 5 min from our rental and charged two nights for about an hour total for around $50. It was an excellent experience and the first time I'd ever driven or had any experience with an EV.
One good thing is that Hertz didn't accuse you of stealing the car. One bullet dodged. That's a win in my book!
Great video. Electrify America, unfortunately, is a disaster.
Your experience at Electrify America mirrors mine exactly in the Upper Midwest.
So you can get a hefty fine for using your mobile device while driving , but it seems ok to use the device built into the vehicle while driving. Isn't that just as dangerous?.
The Polestar is a superb car if you like a great driving experience. The technological features inside the cabin are adequate but nothing special. Polestar was previously the racing division of Volvo and has since been sold to another carmaker. The car handles exceptionally well and if you have the performance model it goes 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. The base model will do 0-60 in about 6.5 seconds. The Polestar is more sports car than sedan.
I rented a Polestar 2 and was told that Hertz is not supplying a charging cord any more. I asked if I could have one anyway, because I had a house to go to with a garage where I could charge. The person repeated that it is not supplied any more because renters are ripping them off. I asked why can't you just take it off the $200 security deposit that you need to collect anyways? There seemed to be no answer to this. It is ridiculous not to supply a charging cord, and the reason the staff person gave does not make sense to me. I ordered one for $100 on Amazon and I am going to leave it in the family house for future EV drivers. It's really ridiculous not to supply the charging cord, and I won't be renting from Hertz again.
The title for this video….”it did not go well”…is very misleading. The Polestar is fine. What didn’t go well is how Hertz handled your rental. I had similar issues with Hertz at Heathrow/London. But the Polestar performed great, and no issues with charging in the UK (used shell and BP stations to re-charge). However Hertz @Heathrow Airport was horrible…from having to wait 90 minutes before i even got helped, and then providing no assistance on how to use the car, and finally, nickel and dimming me on everything when I returned the car a week later. i had a small scrape on the wheel rim that I got while parking, and Hertz charged me $200 for the repair. Every car rental company I have ever used, treats minor scratchers on the tire rim as “normal wear and tear”…but not Hertz.
This video was really about Hertz and not the Polestar. I am sure you could have rented another EV and the title would still be ..It did not go well.
Your experience is interesting. I recently rented a Tesla from Hertz and they sent me several emails with links to instructions on how to operate a Tesla. The instructions covered all of the basic info needed to operate the vehicle. Also I had no problems with Tesla charging network. Just plugged into the car and charging started immediately every time.
Strange. I rented a Tesla from Hertz a couple of weekends ago in Cincinnati. Not only did I received MANY emails in the week before renting that told me what the vehicle needed to be returned at, it was also on the printed out contract.
Just did a Google search of 'what level of charge does a hertz EV rental need to be returned at?' and the search returned the statement "We ask you to return the EV with at least the same level of charge or 75% (whichever is lower)." with a link to the 'Electric Vehicle Rental Terms' PDF from Hertz.
I was expecting him to get arrested because Hertz reported the car stolen.
So the issue is with Hertz and not the car. Got it. Misleading but hey, get your clicks man.
I just rented a Polestar 2 and asked the attendant when I was checking out what charge did I need to bring the car back (he said 70%) or do the charge option at $35. It was my first time renting an EV and just asked upfront.
I just bought a 2023 Polestar 2, exact same model, color and trim as the car in this vid--this is my first EV and I really like the car so far.
8:44 By this this time, I would have been 40 minutes down the road in my surpringly clean and efficient ICE powered minivan and enjoying a 460 to 500-mile range.
I rented a Tesla from Hertz in March and none of this happened. They sent me multiple emails on how to use and explained the charge limits clearly though after I had initiated the rental. Ideally it would be in the rental process. Car was cheaper per day than the smallest car and took less than $10 to charge and about 30m using a supercharger that billed back to my rental. Overall it was super easy. Took some practice to drive the car but worked it out.
"Pole Star" had a different meaning, not that long ago....
I did rent on. And they clearly told me it should be return at level when I left or I couple opt in for the $35. I charge sit to 100% and it cost $10. They got it back at 95%. No issues. The car is fabulous. But you are correct. No one explained how to charge. But they did give me a small pamphlet telling me where to watch the videos on what to do.
Yeah, I just was on their website and it clearly says return at same level OR pay a charge of $35. Nothing confusing about it.
I mean when you rent a gasser they tell you to return it at the level you picked it up at. Most people will just fill the tank. So you'd figure the same rules would apply to BEV.
Literally just back from Orlando and also rented the same vehicle from hertz. HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. hardly any chargers worked, had to drive 30 min each way to find DC charger and many failed attempts at charging. Hertz also very unhelpful
I rented from Enterprise for 2.5 weeks while my ICE car was in the shop. They did explain how to use it and also explained the expectations so far as charge level upon return. I was at home (not on vacation, and just plugged it into 110v every night - I never once used a charge station.) The experience confirmed that as a daily driver for my job the range and 110v charging would be just fine. Regarding likes and dislikes of the car: I loved the front display behind the steering wheel - the 3D map view just makes perfect sense in that configuration. Driving position was very comfortable, and it was a blast to drive. I didn't care for the sunroof, as it was a black interior and doesn't have a way to filter the sun beyond the tinting. My BIGGEST dislike is one I've not heard anyone mention that drove me nuts, which is the key fob. The buttons are black (same as the body of the fob), tiny, and on the sides of the device. You have to look at it to know what you are about to press, which my 50+ year old eyes had a tough time with, especially at night. But overall I really liked the vehicle. When it is time to retire my current car, Polestar will be tops on my list to investigate further.
I recently rented a Tesla MY from Hertz and had a really effortless experience - but I'd reserved the vehicle a month in advance: About a week before I was to pick it up, Hertz began sending me informative emails about the vehicle every day. Each email covered one or two different points about driving a Tesla. The staff at the rental location (downtown Silver Springs, MD) asked me if I had ever driven a Tesla and if I needed any instruction, and made a point of telling me that I needed to return the vehicle with at least an 80% SOC (it was at 97% when I drove off the lot). What they couldn't tell me was the location of any nearby DC charging - but they knew where to find L2 AC charging spots. The vehicle, itself, told me that the nearest Supercharger was just about 3 miles away, in Chevy Chase. When I returned the vehicle the staff was equally solicitous, wanting to know about my experience with the vehicle. That said, I'd never rent a non-Tesla if I was going to be driving in an area with which I was unfamiliar: CCS charging infrastructure is sorely lacking in most of the US.
mmm.... wonder why the experience is so different.
I’ve rented a Tesla Model Y from Hertz and my experience was so much better than yours. Using the Tesla Superchargers was easy and they ALWAYS worked the first time. All charges go to the credit card Hertz has on file (since renters don’t have access to Tesla app).
When I made my reservation Hertz emailed me a few links to quick videos they made on how to unlock and lock the doors, how to start the car, and how to recharge it, I found those helpful. But I also did a ton of research on my own about ALL the features the Tesla offered. I was glad I did as whoever had it before me had turned off most of the electric car features to make it feel more like a gas engine car…which was not what I wanted.
Like you, I was confused about what level of charge I needed to return the vehicle, since hertz doesn’t make that clear….but they DO have rules about it. I never did get a satisfactory answer from Hertz so I just made sure it was close to 80%.
Volvo will make a deal like everyone else is for supercharger. But Tesla owners will now have lines.
@@eleventy-seven Look at the EV sales stats for the first half of 2023. The number of new Tesla Model Y vehicles purchased during that period dwarf the number that Volvo and other have sold. And Tesla has presumably been building out their charging network for some time now to handle the grow of their own cars, which far exceed that of other brands. Even with the huge increase of Tesla Model 3 and Model Y cars this year, I've yet have to to wait in line on the occasions I need to charge on a road trip.
That all said, mostly I charge my Tesla at home.
@@eleventy-seven But Tesla is currently working on expanding their network to accommodate everyone. In another video they said their location is currently expanding from about 10 stations to 20 with further plans to add an additional 50 Tesla charging stations. And more and more locations will be added as well.
Honestly, electric charging may be very good for the convenience store market! I never go in to the store when filling my ICE car. But went into everyone and made a purchase when waiting for my electric vehicle to charge.
@@eleventy-seven Tesla is rapidly building a lot more super charger. Plus, most other charging station companies have said they will start adding the “Tesla” plug to their stations too.
Very interesting. Thanks for posting this. Have a nice day now.
I rented a Tesla Model 3 short range from Hertz. They gave me a Model Y Long Range. They explained to me how to operate the car and said they were flexible about the charge but to at least bring back 10% charged.
Was reasonable and good experience. Charging the Tesla was no problem.
Twiddle my thumbs for 45min. Yer dreamin.
Don’t forget the $75K plus entry fee for your inconvenience.
@@markvincent5992 Don't buy a Ford or GM. Tesla's are blowing away legacy auto because they're much cheaper and better. $75K will get you a pair of Model 3s
Thought this would be about the car. The charger and hertz were the problem
Surprised it wasn’t. Polestar doesn’t enjoy a good reputation for being reliable. Will you explain to me why this push to electric vehicles when places like California can barely keep up with demand now? And no, you can’t just add more transformers. Not when the lines are close to melting.
Lmao. Dude pay the $10 to charge the car to 70%. Man went on a mission to waste his time and ours
Boomers being boomers. "What do you mean I have to download an app?!"
You're lucky regarding the paperwork. Hertz has multiple lawsuits alleging they report cars stolen that were returned by the customer. The paperwork snafu you went through explains why that happens.
I had a similar experience with Hertz in Philadelphia. The first time I rented a Tesla with them there was no recharge fee. The second time there was. When I asked where the recharge fees are listed I was told the agent at the exit gate should have told me about the fee. He didn’t. Hertz agreed to remove the fee and I concluded that I will not rent another EV from them.
That little fiasco convinced me not to go electric. Didn’t relish sitting on all those volts anyway.🇬🇧
46 minutes to charge and not even fully, would be a deal breaker for me.
Yep Polestar 2 was not designed ground up for high performance Level 3 DC Fast charging. Many other BEVs are much better, 30 Minutes for a 10 to 85% charge giving 240 miles range should be the industry standard.
I have been renting a Polestar by Hertz in Europe for 5 days now and found it to be faultless,
The navigation system is absolutely brilliant and the car is a pleasure to drive.
I rented a Polestar 2 from CLT a few weeks ago. Every part of the experience was amazing. So easy to pick up and return the car and the car was awesome.
Before I rented the Polestar 2 I got two emails from Hertz telling me how to use the car. It was awesome!
Thank you for that video…You have just confirmed my notion to never get an electric vehicle.
I can understand you sir. I'm feeling the same way about those EVs.
I had a 2014 BMW i3 from 2018 until 3 months ago, the battery degraded to the point that I did not feel comfortable selling the car private party. Instead, I did what any frustrated petrolhead would do, I traded it on a used 2014 BMW M5. I would say that is the exact polar opposite of the i3. No regrets at all, I will not miss the i3 at all and can honestly say, that was my last electric car.
On my second Tesla after 5 yrs, travel regularly, never had a problem with Tesla superchargers. They are seamless, now charge 20- 80% in about 15-20 mins
@@gregoryvangundy6170 still too slow, needs to be 5 minutes really to compete with a regular car
I agree, if you can't charge at home. If you have to rely solely on public charging, you could be in for a similar experience to this video. To do it for a short period, just to 'try it out', would be a fun learning experience, but, to have to deal with this all the time, I don't think I would get an EV. Since I can charge at home, my next car WILL be an EV. It costs me $.08 per mile to drive my Toyota Prius, (gasoline $4.00 per gallon) It cost me $.0285 per mile, to drive a 2023 Chevy Bolt EUV, charging at home, (Electricity, $.114 per kWh) That's just over 1/3 the cost of gasoline in one of the best hybrids out there. The Prius averages about 50 MPG, the Bolt EUV averaged about 4 miles per kWh, measured at the outlet I plugged it into. "Plug to Pavement".
Public charging, different story! If I charged at $.50 per kWh, it costs EXACTLY $.08 per mile to drive the Bolt, The same as the Prius!! With the Prius, you can do a "splash and dash", get 250 miles of range in less than 3 minutes, 1/10 the time it would take, to get even 150 miles in an EV battery.
Hey just be glad hurtz didn't file a stolen car report, they had issues with that in the past.
I rented a Tesla Model 3 from Hertz in Cincinnati over Easter this spring. Hertz did just fine. They spent 10-15min with me explaining how the car worked and they were very explicit about fees for returning at various charge levels. I had to return at 80% to avoid any fees. The one thing they didn't explain was about how charging worked. I also received several emails before the trip that gave me opportunity to learn how the car worked and locate the charging stations. However, I had the same issues charging as you did, even at a Tesla supercharger station. I got 'charging error', then went to another non-Tesla charging station, that didn't work, went back to the first charging station and somehow it worked. weird. The night before, I charged it again and had no problem. In total, it cost me $13.50 in charging from 35% to 100%. Then I had to go from the charging station in West Chester 10mi to my hotel in Mason, then 35mi to the airport the next morning the battery was now down to 79%, and thankfully, Hertz let it slide. Charging cost was $13.50 for about 200mi, or a third of the cost of gas.
About the car, it was exact opposite of what I expected. I loved driving it, plenty of power to punch it and get hard acceleration, even at highway speeds. However, I absolutely hated the tech, it's anything but intuitive. for example, To open the trunk, you first have to swipe the key-card by the door, get in the car, swipe it by the glove box to turn the car on, then touch the center screen image to open the trunk. Whatever happened to just having a FOB in your pocket and just going up to the trunk and pressing a button at the trunk? Nope, that would be too easy. Then it gets worse from there because it's not menu driven nor intuitive. there are too many common tasks that are buried too deep and take multiple commands just to get there.
The key fob all Tesla owners get does all you asked. Hertz giving you only the key card is not great. Although, with the key card you should have been able to program your phone as a key (unless they disable that feature), but that's not something I would expect a new renter to figure out. Again, Hertz could do better.
I think a better title would have been "Hertz doesn't know how to rent EVs, and EA isn't a solid charging network"....because it sounds like you liked the car. But the title more or less implies there was a problem with the car.
I rented the "Manager's Special EV" from Hertz. Got there, could do Polestar or Tesla. Last time I rented, they told me bring it back in any state of charge. I asked this time - nope, same rip-you-off nonsense as mentioned in this video. Just charge more for the car and include the charging. I get that there is a cost to install electrical lines into the garages and lots that Hertz uses, but they're treating this like gas cars which is silly.
And when I found out I had to return it with a certain state of charge, I picked the Tesla even though I really wanted to try the Polestar (I am a Tesla owner) because of the charging infrastructure. Every story I hear about Electrify America is like this one - unreliable, hard to use. I have had a few issues charging with Tesla, but 95% of the time I just plug it in and it works, no credit card, no hassle and charging is fast enough. I have no trouble traveling with my Tesla, but any other EV, I'd just consider it an around-town car and never take it on trips.
Rental companies, car dealerships, and service centers all need training. The Tesla Supercharger network is a bright spot in this whole transition and would make some of these problems go away if Polestar joined the North American Charging Standard (using Tesla NACS connector). Communication is key and it was sorely lacking at Hertz.
When Hertz started renting EV's, I called with the same question. They told me they the only way to get that information would be to rent one. It seems that you don't even know then. Thanks for the video!