Hertz has partnered with electric vehicle (EV) rental company and eMobility provider UFODrive, to develop new solutions to make renting EVs more straightforward.

UFODrive is an all-digital, all-electric car rental service controlled from an app. Its eMobility platform aims to simplify the transition to electric easy for both customers and fleet providers. The technology delivers a two-minute ‘arrive and drive’ entirely digital EV customer experience.

Hertz aims to deploy UFODrive’s digital rental and fleet management technology to enhance its own global EV fleet operations. It will offer a fully digital rental experience, charge point wayfinding, touchless smartphone access and online customer support with live telematics using UFODrive’s platform.

The new partnership follows Hertz’s announcement in October 2021 that the company is investing in a fleet of Teslas – with a commitment to offer the largest electric vehicle rental fleet in North America and to grow its EV fleet globally.

Hertz also committed to providing the best rental and recharging experience for leisure and business customers around the world. Also in October, the company announced an exclusive partnership with Uber to make Tesla electric vehicles available for drivers to rent when using the Uber network.

“Our partnership with UFODrive is yet another major step in Hertz becoming an essential component of the modern mobility ecosystem,” said Mark Fields, Hertz interim CEO. “Together, we will pilot ways to make renting an EV even easier using UFODRIVE’s digital platforms for both the rental experience and fleet management. For customers, this partnership will help us create the future rental car experience that is all-digital and EV-centric.”

Aidan McClean, UFODrive CEO, added: “We are proud that we are helping to accelerate the transition to zero-emissions mobility, and our investors see the opportunity ahead.

“We pioneered and are now the premier operating system for electric fleets and already service a growing list of high-profile mobility companies.”