Rental car giant Hertz has struck a deal with Amazon that could make buying a used car easier than ever. The company has begun listing its pre-owned vehicles on Amazon Autos, giving U.S. customers the chance to browse and purchase cars online, with pickup available at Hertz sales locations.
Motor Illustrated reported that shoppers within 75 miles of Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and Seattle can browse Hertz vehicles through Amazon. The company says it plans to expand the program nationwide, eventually covering all 45 of its locations.
Inventory includes popular sedans and SUVs, and while no electric vehicles are currently showing up in listings, a significant number of them are expected to be up for grabs in the coming weeks.
This comes after Hertz decided to scale back its plans to maintain a large EV rental fleet.
In 2024, the company sold off about 30,000 electric cars, including Teslas and Chevrolet Bolts. According to Hertz, renters are more interested in gas-powered models, so it decided to make this pivot to reduce operating costs and boost profits. Unfortunately, this is a setback for climate progress, since EV adoption is a critical step in reducing heat-trapping pollution, which contributes to public health issues and unpredictable weather.
However, this new Amazon partnership could still benefit the environment by putting thousands of used EVs into the hands of everyday drivers.
Buying a pre-owned EV not only keeps a car out of the waste stream but also offers a more affordable option for drivers looking to make their next car an EV. On top of that, every EV on the road helps cut tailpipe pollution, making the air cleaner and easier to breathe for entire communities.
Investors seem pleased with the partnership, with shares climbing 7% after it was announced.
"Our goal is to reimagine the car-buying experience and meet customers where they are — whether online or in person — with convenience, confidence and scale," said Jeff Adams, executive vice president of Hertz Car Sales, according to a report by CNBC.
"Excited for this, anything that weakens dealer's [stranglehold] on the market," said one Reddit user.
Responding to commenters concerned about the condition of used rental vehicles, another Redditor said, "Everyone likes to dump on rentals but a family member bought a rental 3/4 tonne truck that has put on about 260,000km since purchase with only expected maintenance issues."
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