Hertz is collaborating with oil giant BP to develop a nationwide network of charging stations for electric vehicles, the companies said Tuesday.
The rental car company, which in the last year has revealed plans to acquire up to 340,000 electric vehicles from Tesla, Polestar, and General Motors by 2027, is collaborating with a subsidiary of BP to install thousands of new charging stations at its U.S. facilities.
BP Pulse, the oil company’s EV-charging division, will install the chargers and provide software and services. This is going to help Hertz in managing its rapidly expanding fleet of electric vehicles.
Some of the charges will be made accessible to taxi and ride-hailing drivers, as well as the general public . Access to charging stations is frequently identified as a possible barrier to EV adoption by U.S. customers.
The new agreement expands upon a previous effort in which BP Pulse put chargers at 25 of Hertz’s biggest airport sites. They did not disclose how many they want to construct in the future.
Government funding for EV charging will be used
Hertz currently offers thousands of EVs for hire at about 500 locations in 38 states, where it has installed its own chargers. It anticipates having over 3,000 chargers operational at its sites across the United States by the end of 2023. This is distinct from its agreement with BP.
The corporation wants to have a quarter of its fleet consist of electric vehicles by the end of 2024.
According to spokesperson Jonathan Stern, Hertz may apply for a portion of the $7.5 billion in government funding made available for electric car charging. Stern stated that Hertz anticipates that many of its facilities, particularly in underprivileged areas, may be eligible for government funding.
The companies did not disclose partnership financial details. Hertz and BP Pulse have reportedly formed an agreement that would accelerate the consumer adoption of electric vehicles. BP has previously stated that it intends to construct 100,000 chargers worldwide by 2030.
According to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents major manufacturers, around five percent of cars sold in the United States during the first half of this year were electric.
