Hertz and BP are teaming together to create a nationwide network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers. The move could aid Hertz’s increasing EV fleet since the rental car firm recently announced intentions to acquire over 300,000 EVs from Tesla, Polestar, and GM.
Details regarding the initiative are still few, and neither company has said how many charging stations they want to create, how long it may take, or how much money each party is committed to the project. But we do know that Hertz is collaborating with BP Pulse, the oil giant’s electric vehicle department, to establish “a network of fast-charging facilities” to serve both Hertz clients and regular EV users.
According to reports, the agreement expands on a previous project in which BP installed chargers at 25 of Hertz’s biggest airport sites. Hertz has also started constructing some EV chargers independently and has already installed them in 500 places around the United States, with intentions to have 3,000 chargers by the end of next year, according to sources. According to the article, Hertz may request for $7.5 million in government subsidies to help expand its network. This coincides with BP’s comparable charging network objectives, with the firm aiming for 100,000 chargers worldwide by 2023.
The lack of EV charging stations has long been a source of worry, with some drivers hesitating to buy (let alone rent) an electric vehicle due to their inaccessibility. According to my colleague Justine Calma, the existing location of EV chargers in the United States isn’t “equitable nor accessible for many low-income areas and neighborhoods of color.” Meanwhile, other electric vehicle owners are dealing with damaged or malfunctioning chargers.
All of this, though, might alter very soon. President Joe Biden authorized $900 million in financing for 35 states to establish EV charging stations along 53,000 miles of roadway in the United States as part of the infrastructure package enacted last year. Biden intends to create 500,000 chargers in the United States by 2030, a significant increase from the country’s current 41,000 chargers.
