G. David Felt

H'mmmm ? We'll you cannot put the fuel pump in the gas tank, start the fueling and walk away from the auto and come back a few hours later. They would tow your auto so others could use the fuel pump. Tesla owners have not had a problem with charging their auto and moving it. In fact at the shopping stores that Tesla has installed superstations like Fred Meyers on the west coast, people plug in, go do their shopping, come back move the auto if they still need to continue to shop or if done, load up and leave. No big deal.

Many Chargers at local outdoor sporting areas are level 2 so it would take 2 to 3 hours to recharge and yes, one would hope you would remember to check on your EV and once fully charge, move it for others to use. But unlike Tesla and I have not seen any Tesla Supercharger stations near Ski resorts, but I could be wrong, one does not get dinged for sitting past the 5 minutes of grace Tesla gives you before they charge for sitting there not allowing the use of a charger. Like Apple Fans, Tesla Fans seem fine with sitting at their auto for the 30 to 45 minutes for charging and then move the auto and go on about visiting the area they are in. Hertz has been renting out all their Tesla and Polestar autos and have more on order as demand is greater for EV rentals than supply currently. I see no problem with the GM/Hertz EV purchase for EV rentals. Yes, some places will be far more receptive to this than others and only time will tell how people respond to the Charging time. Who knows, Hertz could end up with a big money maker as people return them at the 10% or higher mark and let Hertz use their 350 kWh 800V chargers to recharge the auto's. Hertz paid Tesla to install a few at each rental place of Tesla supercharging points and it seems they are well used as Tesla owners can also go to a Hertz and charge if they want having the rate charged back to their Tesla account.

So true and yet there is a market for people who do not care about MPG or kW per miles used. Example is I own an SS that gets on average 12 miles per gallon on Premium fuel but is a blast to drive.

This is not an auto for efficiency, but performance and ultimate off-road handling. It is a poster auto to show what can be done with various tech. No one should expect amazing range per kilowatt. Heck even the Tesla Platinum in their performance mode gets terrible ratings. Like all things, when it comes to showing off performance, mileage will always suffer.

Been a long time since I have seen the old plastic H2 hummer SUV on the road.

Interesting read! Very cool https://www.notebookcheck.net/9-000-lb-GMC-Hummer-EV-put-through-its-paces-in-a-highway-range-test-at-70-mph.657307.0.html

Very cool to see continued GM investments in EVs. https://electrek.co/2022/09/23/gm-invests-760m-ohio-plant-build-drive-units-ev-trucks/

I have to think that GM has shared their EV roadmap with Hertz under NDA and as such, the 5 years is based on buying each new EV released so they have a wide assortment of EVs. I honestly see no problem of buying the 175,000 EVs over the next 5 years. GM says they will have ramped up to be able to start producing 1 million EVs a year by the end of 2025. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Thank you for posting about outside of the U.S., interesting to see and on par with gas charging. Weird since it is so much cheaper than gas to do even with the wait time. Waiting to charge a car is longer than fueling a car if you can just pull up. Yet with that said, the Costco Gas site by the Maui airport where my kids took my wife and I this year to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary was a 20 min wait in line, another 10 minutes to fuel the auto, then off to the airport, so 30 minutes to get cheaper gas than what they charge you at the airport. Still took time and if the vacation time with your family and friends is more important, than like the gas, bringing it back empty and paying Hertz to fuel it is part of the vacation cost then is how I see it. So in that case, instant gratification as my vacation time is more important than the cost is how I would look at it. Since we had an afternoon flight out and had to leave our AirBNB rental by 11am, it was convenient to just stop, fuel, drop the auto and keys off and head to the airport. I see both sides of the coin. The businessman in me sees the increased profits and reduced maintenance of EVs for this over ICE and I can see why Hertz is doing it.

This is very cool to see, new C130 float planes. C-130 Seaplane Should Fly In 2023 Says Air Force Special Ops Commander (msn.com)

Hertz's have been very clear on the amount of time for charging. I think if one does not have the common sense to understand at this early stage of EVs that there is a longer wait, then they are in that Instant Gratification group where they see themselves as more important than everyone else and the planet and they would never buy now or in the next couple of decades an EV. Talking of common sense, to me it would be common, you drive your EV to the location you want to explore, play at, etc. locate the local charger and plug in so while your away, the auto charges. @Drew Dowdell has stated many times, what is so hard about plugging in to charge when you go to eat lunch, breakfast, dinner. You already are going to be gone for an hour or so. This whole discussion has me also thinking on alternative ways to charge. Are Solar Trees the Answer to EV Charging? (autoweek.com) The EV solar tree is an interesting concept, not sure how viable it will be except for those that do long term charging like at work. I think to avoid the cord cutting of the Toxic crowds that ICE chargers, wireless high-speed charging will be the long-term future way to go. I will say that when I do buy my own EVs, even if the OEM does not offer a wireless charging solution, I will end up going with one of the 3rd parties companies that can install the wireless controller and pad so that it is very convenient in just driving over the pad and let it charge up while you go inside your house.

Interesting read on the Japan Truck thing we have discussed here about how good or bad they are. 10 Most Overrated Japanese Pickups On The Used Market (hotcars.com)

Interesting is that Hertz has stated they will add NOTHING other than the rate they are charged to plug in the EV and they ask that you bring it back with a minimum 10% battery charge. At that rate, like they said, EVs will save renters money over the cost of fueling an ICE rental. As per their own website, at least for right now, they are passing on the charges from Tesla Supercharging Station, EVGo or any of the other charging networks to your credit card. They are not marking up the charge cost.

I think we will see chargers installed to be very noticeable by 2025 and especially by 2030. When has any renting benefitted the renter? ICE is no different than EV. Hertz is doing a good job on the EV front, did not realize till today that they also rent Polestar EVs. Electric Vehicles - Hertz Travel Blog How to charge an electric car - Hertz Travel Blog I have to assume they will have a GM section too, but right now the Tesla and Polestar sections are very informative and cover the concerns you have brought up. Electric Vehicle Brand FAQs - Hertz Travel Blog

Those politicians you mention are nothing but double standards as they were / are against the EV thing and yet an example is how Ted Cruz has moved forward to get a chunk of the money for Texas Charging installation. Say one thing for their base, then say another thing for the base that wants to make a business off installing the chargers, selling them, etc. Pathetic the double standard. At least the bill passed both houses and was signed and now the money is going out to the states that have applied and Chargers will get installed. Biggest threat is the Toxic Diesel crowd that loves to ICE charging spots and cut cables as they fear change.

@ccap41 @oldshurst442 @surreal1272 A worthwhile read if you are interested in what is going on now and the future for EVs and Charging. The Future Standard Of Electric Vehicles: Charging Infrastructures - Plug and Play Tech Center

Shell Recharge Solutions | Shell United States One can clearly see how easy it will be to have public Charging stations compared to gas stations with the in-ground tanks and all the other EPA safety stuff they have to install. Yes Charging has it's own safety needs, but nothing like a traditional ICE station. Yet let's focus on your original comment: How many auto renters actually have to fuel up during their rental period? Yes, they usually fuel up at the end to avoid the high price at the rental place for gas. Most rental places do not have their own fuel pumps, so have to pay someone to drive it over, gas up and bring the auto back to rent again. Compared to EVs, easy to have a 220 Level 2 or DC Fast charging connections installed at the rental site. Hertz has installed fast chargers to deal with both the Tesla and will for all over EVs using fast charging CCS units. Electrical permit needed, but very easy to do and as per Hertz own web site, they are showing how easy it is to charge if needed. Charging a Tesla | Hertz Electric Vehicles I think most folks will be fine having an EV, charging up either at a public station or letting Hertz re-charge the auto.

Great points made. Last summer a Fuel delivery driver fell asleep at the wheel, crashed and burned. The damage to the overpass here in Lynnwood Washington 44th street over pass required that a portion of the bridge was closed down on I5 here for months as they had to rebuild the damaged section causing the area to be a bottleneck especially during commuting times. Just think if all those fuel delivery tankers were no longer on the roads. We might now have to deal with these kinds of issues.

I would disagree with you on this. This is an excellent place for adoption when you think about it. First, the OEMs, especially the Legacy ones are wanting to follow Rivian and Tesla and have made to order and not carry allot of inventory. Second, if there is not allot of inventory, that makes it harder for those that need to test drive and spend time with an auto to see if they like it or not. Example is the Cadillac dealerships by me would give you the Cadillac you were interested in a loaner for 24hrs to see how you like it. If dealerships move to made to order, then you can bet having a 24hr loaner to test will not happen. Third, the point of this is that the rental companies will allow folks to check out an EV at the interest level and learn how they drive, work etc. With the built in Nav systems that tell you were the various charging stations are at and what levels are available it will not leave people wondering where they can charge. Fourth, Hertz has continuously increased purchases of Tesla auto's as they are the most popular for rental. With as I have posted elsewhere an average of 39 miles a day for personal ownership, rental autos have come in at only 54 miles per day on average. Most people will not have to deal with charging and I bet will take the pay option to let the rental company recharge the auto. Hertz as I also expect other rental companies will install plenty of DC chargers to get the EVs back on the road fast. I have posted this before, plenty easy for people to find chargers and if they drive to a distant location to check it out, it makes sense for them to find a charger and plug in while exploring the destination. Alternative Fuels Data Center: Electric Vehicle Charging Station Locations (energy.gov) Tesla Car Rental | Hertz Rent a Car Another reason that auto rental companies want to move to EVs is maintenance. With EVs having much less maintenance, the EV is a higher profit rental than traditional ICE. Just as Hertz has their Mustangs that people seem to love to rent and I can only assume in some cases abuse, one can clearly see that there will be those wanting to rent a Hummer Truck EV to experience WTF mode. Just a few reasons for this EV purchase for renting.

Just how slippery is the Lightyear 0 EV? Try a confirmed 0.175 coefficient of drag (Cd) for this solar assisted electric car with testing having been done by FKFS wind tunnels in Stuttgart, Germany, under WLTP protocols. I know, I know, how much more aerodynamic is this than others and here is the top 3 cars till today. Lucid Air, Tesla Model S and Mercedes-Benz EQS have all come in at 0.20 to 0.21 meaning the Lightyear 0 is slippery. Even GMs EV1 which only had 1,117 leased to customers in California had a Cd of 0.195. Initial first year run is 946 EVs with a reserve cost of $250,000 euros. What does one get for the Euro $250,000 dollars? Standard Equipment 10.1" infotainment display with Android Automotive OS Side and Rear-view camera system Vegan interior made with naturally sources materials Seating for five 4 independently controlled in-wheel motors 1,000km estimated driving range (621 mile range) 60 kWh battery pack Top speed of 160 km/h or 99.4 mph Why it might not be right for you: Acceleration - 0-60 mph is just under 10 seconds To reserve a Lightyear 0, payment of $250,000, vehicle purchase price excluding taxes Initial sales only in UK, Switzerland, and Norway. As sales increase, company plans to expand sales to other countries High-volume model to follow once all Lightyear 0 models are built. According to the Lightyear web site, the Lightyear car has 474L of trunk space with the seats up. In Standard language this is 17 cubic feet of space. The ground clearance for this car is 183 mm or 7 inches of space. The Solar roof and frunk hood allows for 70km (43.5 miles) of driving distance added per day in sunlight. The lightyear is built using reclaimed carbon fiber and has a weight of 1,575 kg or 3,472 pounds. Dimensions are 5083 x 1972 x 1445 mm which equates in the antiquated US Standard as 200" x 77.6" x 57". Never let it be said that someone could not get any more minimalist than Tesla has done as I think Lightyear has them beat with their extreme minimalist interior. Lightyear uses a state-of-the-art thermal management system that is AI aware to maximize range, battery and drivetrain cooling with a heat pump system that uses waste heat to from the drivetrain and energy storage components to chill the battery and heat up the cabin. The lightyear 0 will have 10 initial colors choices at launch. Frequently Asked Questions — Lightyear Lightyear — Solar Electric Vehicle | Lightyear View full article

Saw a mint condition Cadillac XLR today when running an errand with a young attractive woman having the top down and enjoying the smoky sun. Silver and just like the press release version.

Hertz is leading the auto rental push into the EV space with GM. Here is the nuts and bolts of this agreement. Hertz plans to order up to 175,000 EVs from GM over the next five years Hertz will offer Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac and BrightDrop EVs across multiple vehicle categories Deliveries of the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV are expected to begin first quarter 2023 This EV agreement between Hertz and GM makes it one of the largest to date of an EV expansion among fleet customers and the broadest as it covers from compact to Fullsize EVs. Hertz will offer from trucks, SUVs, and cars from basic entry level to luxury and more with the BrightDrop vans. Hertz has estimated that over the 5-year period, approximately 8 billion miles will be driven in EVs saving approximately 3.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. To quote Stephen Scherr, Hertz CEO: "It's exciting that two iconic American companies that have shaped the evolution of transportation for more than a century are coming together to redefine the future of mobility in the 21st century," "We are thrilled to partner with GM on this initiative, which will dramatically expand our EV offering to Hertz customers, including leisure and business travelers, rideshare drivers and corporates." Hertz is investing to create the largest rental fleet of EVs in North America, with tens of thousands of EVs available for rent at 500 Hertz locations across 38 states. The company's current goal is for one-quarter of its fleet to be electric by the end of 2024. GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra has this to say: "Our work with Hertz is a huge step forward for emissions reduction and EV adoption that will help create thousands of new EV customers for GM," "With the vehicle choice, technology and driving range we're delivering, I'm confident that each rental experience will further increase purchase consideration for our products and drive growth for our company." With Hertz taking EV deliveries starting Q1 2023, deliveries will scale as GM rapidly scales EV production across their entire portfolio of products as GM scales to be producing 1 million EVs in North America by the end of 2025 a year. View full article