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.
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.
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.
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.
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!!!!!!!!!!!
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?
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.
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.
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.
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 .
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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 .
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 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.
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?
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.
"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.
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?.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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. 😊
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
Just finished renting this same vehicle but from Thrifty. They were nice enough to tell me that we can return our car at 80%... $35 under 80%. Charging was brutal. Only Electrify seemed to work and is no where near the airport so by the time you fill it to 100% and drive to the airport, it's down to 80% again...lol. EV is not the way to go for car rental at all!
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 usually rent the Tesla from Hertz in Phoenix without any problems. It has to be returned at a minimum of 80% and Tesla Superchargers take about 35 min. Best time to charge is non peak hour’s which usually costs around $3.48. The same charge during peak hours is $20. The Tesla supercharger stations don’t require a credit card because the bill is paid to Hertz when you return the rental. I’ve also used ChargePoint while at work but it takes about 4 hours to charge around 90 miles. Also I’m 6’2 and the Model 3 has plenty of leg room in the front and rear.
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.
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 Y for a few weeks and I had a really good experience. All you do is plug the car in at any supercharger and they’ll bill you when you return the vehicle. I has offered the the Kia and the polestar initially but the manager backed down when I offered them to take it if they made then 15 bucks a day to compensate for the headaches you deal with while charging them.
My nightmare Hertz/Polestar experience: I rented a Polestar 2 from Hertz in Houston last month. I’d never driven an electric car but the advertised prices were cheaper than gas cars, so I tried it for the experience. There were some positives but the 7-day rental was mostly a negative. I had zero instructions at pick up (just the attendant pointing me to the car), but I figured out how to drive it. It’s a rocket on four wheels and ideal for getting in and out of traffic on Houston’s 22-lane congested highways. That’s the extent of the positives. Hertz advertised the Polstar had a 250-mile range, which should’ve comfortably taken me to my destination in Galveston, then back to Houston during the week. I figured I’d only have to charge it one time in Houston before returning it. The car was at 80% at pick up, which gave me only 200 miles of range. That got me to Galveston, plus local driving. Then my trip north to Houston required a charge. The charging opportunities were very few along my route. I used the app on the car, as well as Google maps and several EV car apps to find charging stations. On my trip to Houston, I stopped at three slow (Level 1?) charging stations in order to get enough power to get to my destination. One station was broken, another one wouldn’t take my credit card, and a third one was located in a private apartment complex- for use by the tenants. I snuck in the security gate to access the charger-which was super slow. After 90 minutes I had about 40 additional miles, which got me to my destination that day. The following day I planned spending with my brother, but much of the day was consumed with finding a charger-so I’d have enough power to get back to the airport. I went to eight different locations, trying to find a fast charger. Two stations didn’t accept credit cards or the app didn’t work. Two had broken chargers. After a couple hours of failure, I was desperate as the battery was running low. My brother suggested three places he’d seen EV charging stations: Sam’s Club, Costco, and a major truckstop along I-10. The big box stores didn’t have charging stations and the truckstop had about 25 chargers, but they were exclusively for Teslas. At that point I had about 10 miles of range left and took the only option which was a Cracker Barrel restaurant. I got to the Cracker Barrel with 3 miles of range left, then had to wait 40 minutes for another car to finish charging. The Cracker Barrel Level 2 charger was tied to an app, and I got it working to give me 50% charge in about an hour- enough to get me back to the airport several days later. During my week, I spent hours searching the Hertz website, trying to find information on what charge level I had to return the car. Though the information was not clear, I assumed if I returned with the same charge I started with I wouldn’t pay a fee. I returned car with a 30% charge so had to pay a $35 fee. I wasted several hours on two days trying to charge the car rather, than spending time with my brother and his family. The stress from “range anxiety” is something that’s hard to explain until you live it. Electric cars certainly work well for some people, but they’re not ideal for newbies who are driving around a vast metropolitan like Houston / Galveston and not knowing where charging facilities are located. In hindsight, I should’ve paid a few more dollars to rent a Tesla. Their infrastructure is well established, and my experience would’ve been far better.
I have owned a Polestar 2 for almost a year now. Like the car a lot. However charging past 80% on public Level 3 chargers is a waste or time as the charging rate falls dramatically at 80%. In my experience on a 150KW Electrify America charger, charging from 30% to 80% normally takes 30 minutes and 20% to 80% takes 38 minutes (on average). As with all electric cars, the higher the state of charge of the battery, the slower the rate of charge.
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 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.
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 am currently renting a Polestar 2 from Hertz. The experience that I had was different, at pick up as the staff were very helpful. However, there is a difference here in England. The car comes with a dongle attached to the key from the "Shell Recharge" service. This is a network of 14,000+ chargers all over the UK. When you plug the charging cable in you need to swipe the dongle on the charging machine and it will start the charging. The time it takes to charge the car very much depends upon the ability of the actual charging station. This morning a 50KwH charger took 55 min to charge the car from 24% -100%. The car itself is very much like driving a Volvo (which is hardly surprising as they are part of the same group). It is a good solid car and is efficient in energy use, with 280 miles of real-world range. The cabin is snug, in that there is a central console and driveshaft tunnel in the back which is packed with batteries. This does mean that you feel quite enclosed in the driver's seat, but it is comfortable. The performance of the car that I have been given is not as rapid as the Tesla Model 3 in terms of acceleration, in fact, it seems much slower. However, it is still a rapid car when compared with other cars. The central console screen is not as easy to use as the Tesla, for example when receiving a phone call, connected by Bluetooth into the car's microphone and speakers it is very easy to answer. Simply hit the green button on the screen.. But I still have not figured out how to end the call without touching my phone. When driving there is a noticeable electric motor whine which can be a little annoying, but this can be drowned out by the decent speaker system connected to Spotify. This is the 4th EV that I have driven (Tesla Model Y & Model 3, Polestar 2 and the e.GO Life). The reality is that EV's are not for everyone. If you really enjoy the ability to accelerate very quickly and you enjoy a quiet journey (little road or wind noise and no engine noise), there are great cars. However, if you like your ICE cars and trucks, stick to those. It will be a long time before Ice is not available. But in the meantime, if you find me in the Tesla at a set of lights, I will wave as my car disappears into the distance and I roar with laughter at the sheer pleasure of the acceleration.
I recently rented a Polestar 2 in Baltimore from Hertz. Regarding the cat, all your comments are accurate. Overall, I would give the car a 7/10. Drove nicely. My first electric car experience. Was very happy with the drive quality. On the Hertz side, it's very similar. I didn't get any instructions as I just went to my area and picked whatever car I wanted. Which told me I didn't need to reserve the car if I was going to pick one. Thankfully, there wasn't much of a price difference from gas models. I didn't get instructions there, but they did email me some helpful tips that gave you a great orientation on the vehicle. With that, I felt well-prepared. I agree there was nothing indicating what charge level to return the vehicle. I returned less than ~35% but wasn't charged any additional money. That should be made clear at the time of rental. Agree they should handle these rentals with white gloves until the general population is more "electric-friendly." Hertz 8/10
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 rented a Mod 3 LR for a month from Hertz. It was a great experience. I am a gold card member too. but the staff gave me a 1 minute instruction, they showed me where to fill it up with gas... 🤣🤣🤣😅
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.
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!
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 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 never worked at hertz, but I did work at enterprise, and this all sounds very par for the course. I'm willing to bet it's the same experience at enterprise/alamo/national as their computer systems were ANCIENT when I worked there, and I doubt that's changed. I bet none of the big rental companies have adapted their software to account for vehicles that don't take liquid fuel.
I recently rented the Polestar in New South Wales at the Sydney airport Hertz depot, the car was excellent and with the clement weather and the speed limits in Australia meant that the range was as advertised (not often the case). So no range anxiety but a large amount of "where the F*** do I charge it Anxiety" which was not helped by no instructions from the Hertz team. Charging the bloody thing out on our trip took over our lives, bit like having a toddler. So do not rent an electric car for a road trip just yet, I suspect if you are just based in one place and can charge where you are staying then it is a viable option.
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.
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.
The best use case for EV's IMO is someone who charges free at home with solar and almost never uses public charging. That's exactly what I do. I haven't used public charging in over a year. When I first got my EV I tried public charging all the time because it was still a novelty. I actually succeeded far less than half the time. Chargers were broken, wouldn't connect, blocked by ICE vehicles, etc etc etc. And this is with me only going to chargers that I verified online were supposedly working and available. If I had no choice but to buy an EV that I had to charge publicly I would only get a Tesla just for the charging network.
Thank you for that RARE AND HONEST REPORT regarding the impractical nature of public electric chargers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There are a number of public chargers in my area - all supplied by local municipal govt - which translates into LIE-beral political supporters............................ and the damned chargers are made available AT RATES WELL BELOW what it costs to operate them - and also the rates are charged are well below what it cost to install the chargers in the first place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Govt supplied chargers in my municipal area are nothing but a NEARLY FREE GIVE AWAY FOR SUCKERS who will end up paying BIG TIME once govt thinks they are fully on the HOOK with their electric TOY cars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So this is a review of Hertz rental practices and electrify America. I also rented a Polestar 2 from the Hertz of Grand Rapids and it was a pleasure. Gentlemen talked over the car with me, gave me my paperwork work, etc. and they told me I didn’t need to charge it before returning at no cost. 🤷♂️. Charging was a breeze in my experience as well. Took an hour to figure it out (first time EV user). Second time took all of 5 min. Sorry for the sour experience, the car was sensational.
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.
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!
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!!!
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.
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.
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.
Terrible story. Your wife is lucky she made it.
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!!!!!!!!!!!
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?
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.
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 just love sitting in the Florida heat waiting for my battery to charge!
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 .
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 .
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.
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.
You really should change the headline of this video. It really deals more with the poor service from Hertz than anything else.
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
Very informative.... and the issue is not with the car but with the rental company and the charging station.
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 ...
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.
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.
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.
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 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????????????????
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.
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 .
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 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.
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?
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.
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?
"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.
I was expecting him to get arrested because Hertz reported the car stolen.
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?.
An inditement of Electrify America, the most confusing, inconsistent, and frustrating charging network in the country.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
One good thing is that Hertz didn't accuse you of stealing the car. One bullet dodged. That's a win in my book!
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.
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.
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.
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.
....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.
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.
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.
This is why I bought a Tesla. The charging network sold me as it made the car very practical for travel.
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?
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.
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.
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.
Just finished renting this same vehicle but from Thrifty. They were nice enough to tell me that we can return our car at 80%... $35 under 80%. Charging was brutal. Only Electrify seemed to work and is no where near the airport so by the time you fill it to 100% and drive to the airport, it's down to 80% again...lol. EV is not the way to go for car rental at all!
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...
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.
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.
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.
Have this car for almost a month now, and I'm fking in love with it!
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.
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 usually rent the Tesla from Hertz in Phoenix without any problems.
It has to be returned at a minimum of 80% and Tesla Superchargers take about 35 min.
Best time to charge is non peak hour’s which usually costs around $3.48. The same charge during peak hours is $20.
The Tesla supercharger stations don’t require a credit card because the bill is paid to Hertz when you return the rental.
I’ve also used ChargePoint while at work but it takes about 4 hours to charge around 90 miles.
Also I’m 6’2 and the Model 3 has plenty of leg room in the front and rear.
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.
So the issue is with Hertz and not the car. Got it. Misleading but hey, get your clicks man.
How wonderful this adventure would be at night and criminals circling for the kill or whatever fun they might be planning!
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.
I rented a Tesla model Y for a few weeks and I had a really good experience. All you do is plug the car in at any supercharger and they’ll bill you when you return the vehicle. I has offered the the Kia and the polestar initially but the manager backed down when I offered them to take it if they made then 15 bucks a day to compensate for the headaches you deal with while charging them.
My nightmare Hertz/Polestar experience: I rented a Polestar 2 from Hertz in Houston last month. I’d never driven an electric car but the advertised prices were cheaper than gas cars, so I tried it for the experience. There were some positives but the 7-day rental was mostly a negative.
I had zero instructions at pick up (just the attendant pointing me to the car), but I figured out how to drive it. It’s a rocket on four wheels and ideal for getting in and out of traffic on Houston’s 22-lane congested highways. That’s the extent of the positives.
Hertz advertised the Polstar had a 250-mile range, which should’ve comfortably taken me to my destination in Galveston, then back to Houston during the week. I figured I’d only have to charge it one time in Houston before returning it.
The car was at 80% at pick up, which gave me only 200 miles of range. That got me to Galveston, plus local driving. Then my trip north to Houston required a charge. The charging opportunities were very few along my route.
I used the app on the car, as well as Google maps and several EV car apps to find charging stations. On my trip to Houston, I stopped at three slow (Level 1?) charging stations in order to get enough power to get to my destination. One station was broken, another one wouldn’t take my credit card, and a third one was located in a private apartment complex- for use by the tenants. I snuck in the security gate to access the charger-which was super slow. After 90 minutes I had about 40 additional miles, which got me to my destination that day.
The following day I planned spending with my brother, but much of the day was consumed with finding a charger-so I’d have enough power to get back to the airport. I went to eight different locations, trying to find a fast charger. Two stations didn’t accept credit cards or the app didn’t work. Two had broken chargers.
After a couple hours of failure, I was desperate as the battery was running low. My brother suggested three places he’d seen EV charging stations: Sam’s Club, Costco, and a major truckstop along I-10. The big box stores didn’t have charging stations and the truckstop had about 25 chargers, but they were exclusively for Teslas.
At that point I had about 10 miles of range left and took the only option which was a Cracker Barrel restaurant. I got to the Cracker Barrel with 3 miles of range left, then had to wait 40 minutes for another car to finish charging.
The Cracker Barrel Level 2 charger was tied to an app, and I got it working to give me 50% charge in about an hour- enough to get me back to the airport several days later.
During my week, I spent hours searching the Hertz website, trying to find information on what charge level I had to return the car. Though the information was not clear, I assumed if I returned with the same charge I started with I wouldn’t pay a fee. I returned car with a 30% charge so had to pay a $35 fee.
I wasted several hours on two days trying to charge the car rather, than spending time with my brother and his family. The stress from “range anxiety” is something that’s hard to explain until you live it.
Electric cars certainly work well for some people, but they’re not ideal for newbies who are driving around a vast metropolitan like Houston / Galveston and not knowing where charging facilities are located.
In hindsight, I should’ve paid a few more dollars to rent a Tesla. Their infrastructure is well established, and my experience would’ve been far better.
I have owned a Polestar 2 for almost a year now. Like the car a lot. However charging past 80% on public Level 3 chargers is a waste or time as the charging rate falls dramatically at 80%.
In my experience on a 150KW Electrify America charger, charging from 30% to 80% normally takes 30 minutes and 20% to 80% takes 38 minutes (on average).
As with all electric cars, the higher the state of charge of the battery, the slower the rate of charge.
"Pole Star" had a different meaning, not that long ago....
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 rented a Hertz Tesla model Y. They said 70% is required on the charge. It was right on our receipt in Nashville. I think they will get better.
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.
Great video. Electrify America, unfortunately, is a disaster.
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 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.
I am currently renting a Polestar 2 from Hertz. The experience that I had was different, at pick up as the staff were very helpful. However, there is a difference here in England. The car comes with a dongle attached to the key from the "Shell Recharge" service. This is a network of 14,000+ chargers all over the UK. When you plug the charging cable in you need to swipe the dongle on the charging machine and it will start the charging. The time it takes to charge the car very much depends upon the ability of the actual charging station. This morning a 50KwH charger took 55 min to charge the car from 24% -100%.
The car itself is very much like driving a Volvo (which is hardly surprising as they are part of the same group). It is a good solid car and is efficient in energy use, with 280 miles of real-world range. The cabin is snug, in that there is a central console and driveshaft tunnel in the back which is packed with batteries. This does mean that you feel quite enclosed in the driver's seat, but it is comfortable. The performance of the car that I have been given is not as rapid as the Tesla Model 3 in terms of acceleration, in fact, it seems much slower. However, it is still a rapid car when compared with other cars.
The central console screen is not as easy to use as the Tesla, for example when receiving a phone call, connected by Bluetooth into the car's microphone and speakers it is very easy to answer. Simply hit the green button on the screen.. But I still have not figured out how to end the call without touching my phone.
When driving there is a noticeable electric motor whine which can be a little annoying, but this can be drowned out by the decent speaker system connected to Spotify.
This is the 4th EV that I have driven (Tesla Model Y & Model 3, Polestar 2 and the e.GO Life). The reality is that EV's are not for everyone. If you really enjoy the ability to accelerate very quickly and you enjoy a quiet journey (little road or wind noise and no engine noise), there are great cars. However, if you like your ICE cars and trucks, stick to those. It will be a long time before Ice is not available. But in the meantime, if you find me in the Tesla at a set of lights, I will wave as my car disappears into the distance and I roar with laughter at the sheer pleasure of the acceleration.
I recently rented a Polestar 2 in Baltimore from Hertz. Regarding the cat, all your comments are accurate. Overall, I would give the car a 7/10. Drove nicely. My first electric car experience. Was very happy with the drive quality.
On the Hertz side, it's very similar. I didn't get any instructions as I just went to my area and picked whatever car I wanted. Which told me I didn't need to reserve the car if I was going to pick one. Thankfully, there wasn't much of a price difference from gas models. I didn't get instructions there, but they did email me some helpful tips that gave you a great orientation on the vehicle. With that, I felt well-prepared. I agree there was nothing indicating what charge level to return the vehicle. I returned less than ~35% but wasn't charged any additional money. That should be made clear at the time of rental.
Agree they should handle these rentals with white gloves until the general population is more "electric-friendly." Hertz 8/10
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 rented a Tesla from Hertz, and “it didn’t go well”. Problem is with Hertz, not the car.
I'm sure that's true, but there's a big difference between a car made in China (the Polestar) and a car made... literally anywhere else.
Hey just be glad hurtz didn't file a stolen car report, they had issues with that in the past.
I rented a Mod 3 LR for a month from Hertz. It was a great experience. I am a gold card member too. but the staff gave me a 1 minute instruction, they showed me where to fill it up with gas... 🤣🤣🤣😅
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.
Meanwhile lady at counter 2 called the cops and reported the car stolen because you didn't have paperwork.
I rented a Polestar 2 from Hertz just last month. It was absolutely brilliant! I would love to own one of these cars.
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!
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 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!
I never worked at hertz, but I did work at enterprise, and this all sounds very par for the course. I'm willing to bet it's the same experience at enterprise/alamo/national as their computer systems were ANCIENT when I worked there, and I doubt that's changed. I bet none of the big rental companies have adapted their software to account for vehicles that don't take liquid fuel.
I recently rented the Polestar in New South Wales at the Sydney airport Hertz depot, the car was excellent and with the clement weather and the speed limits in Australia meant that the range was as advertised (not often the case). So no range anxiety but a large amount of "where the F*** do I charge it Anxiety" which was not helped by no instructions from the Hertz team. Charging the bloody thing out on our trip took over our lives, bit like having a toddler. So do not rent an electric car for a road trip just yet, I suspect if you are just based in one place and can charge where you are staying then it is a viable option.
A Tesla will find the charger, tell you how many are free, how long you'll need to charge, and guide you to it. No anxiety at all with a Tesla.
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.
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.
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.
The best use case for EV's IMO is someone who charges free at home with solar and almost never uses public charging. That's exactly what I do. I haven't used public charging in over a year. When I first got my EV I tried public charging all the time because it was still a novelty. I actually succeeded far less than half the time. Chargers were broken, wouldn't connect, blocked by ICE vehicles, etc etc etc. And this is with me only going to chargers that I verified online were supposedly working and available. If I had no choice but to buy an EV that I had to charge publicly I would only get a Tesla just for the charging network.
Thank you for that RARE AND HONEST REPORT regarding the impractical nature of public electric chargers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There are a number of public chargers in my area - all supplied by local municipal govt - which translates into LIE-beral political supporters............................
and the damned chargers are made available AT RATES WELL BELOW what it costs to operate them - and also the rates are charged are well below what it cost to install the chargers in the first place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Govt supplied chargers in my municipal area are nothing but a NEARLY FREE GIVE AWAY FOR SUCKERS who will end up paying BIG TIME once govt thinks they are fully on the HOOK with their electric TOY cars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So this is a review of Hertz rental practices and electrify America. I also rented a Polestar 2 from the Hertz of Grand Rapids and it was a pleasure. Gentlemen talked over the car with me, gave me my paperwork work, etc. and they told me I didn’t need to charge it before returning at no cost. 🤷♂️. Charging was a breeze in my experience as well. Took an hour to figure it out (first time EV user). Second time took all of 5 min. Sorry for the sour experience, the car was sensational.
I have to say, what a gorgeous car, and reasonably priced.