Hertz is asking electric vehicle renters to buy their cars

Would you buy an ex-rental Tesla Model 3 with less than 30,000 miles for less than $18,000?

                                        https://www.carscoops.com/author/bradcarscoops-com/                                    

Hertz is reducing its portfolio of electric vehicles in response to the sharp decline in value of some of its most popular models, including the Tesla Model 3. In what appears to be an aggressive attempt to get rid of these vehicles, the rental giant has begun reaching out directly to customers currently renting them and bidding the opportunity to buy the cars directly on site.

Although we couldn’t find a direct announcement from Hertz about the program, a Reddit user recently shared a screenshot of an email he received from Hertz when he rented a 2023 Tesla Model 3. In the email, Hertz offered the renter the chance to purchase the electric vehicle for just $17,913.

Read: Hertz offers Teslas for under $20,000, but you probably shouldn’t jump on them

The renter says the Model 3 he rented had less than 30,000 miles (about 48,000 km) on it, and the opportunity to buy it at that price sounds like a bargain. Last month we published a story about how many of Hertz’s Tesla Model 3s were being sold, but none of them were that cheap. A look at Hertz’s current inventory shows that three 2022 Model 3s are available for less than $20,000. However, they all have over 130,000 miles (~209,000 km) on the clock.

The Redditor didn’t say whether he responded to the offer to purchase the relatively low-mileage Model 3 for just $17,913, but if Hertz has advertised similar deals to other renters, we suspect there are plenty of offers out there like this is considered too good to pass by.

Of course, buying an old rental car comes with risks as it is almost certain that these vehicles have been driven extensively. It’s also worth noting that the Tesla’s battery is guaranteed for 8 years or 100,000 miles (whichever comes first) for RWD models. Purchasing a vehicle within this warranty period is highly advisable, as battery replacement is one of the most expensive repairs electric vehicle owners face.

Another user from the same subreddit says he recently rented a Polestar (presumably a Polestar 2) and received a similar email offering him the opportunity to buy it for $28,500. While we don’t know how many miles it had on it, this deal doesn’t seem like such a good deal. A look at Auto Trader shows that there are dozens of Polestar 2s available in the US for less than $25,000, many with fewer than 20,000 miles on the clock, making Hertz’s offering look far less competitive in comparison.