08/04/2024 • 5 min

Do I Need to Return an EV Rental With a Full Charge?

Hertz offers three great options options to recharge your rental EV. Read about them below.
EV_rentals_charging

What you’ll learn:

 

Is it Necessary to Return an Electric Car Rental With a Full Charge?

When you rent an electric vehicle with Hertz, we offer three great options for recharging your EV.*

  1. EV Purchase Option (EVPO): 
Purchase this option to pay for the amount of charge in the EV battery at time of pickup, at a rate similar to local charging stations plus a small fee. Then you can return the EV at any battery level. No refunds for the charge left in the battery at time of return.
  2. EV Service Charge (EVSC): If you do not select EVPO and do not recharge the vehicle yourself, Hertz will charge you for the difference in battery level at pickup and return, at the same energy rate as EVPO but with a higher fee.
  3. You recharge: Pay no additional cost if you return the EV at the same battery level it had at pickup — but you never have to bring it back over 75%.


As you can see above, prices vary by location, so we don’t include exact pricing above. Here are two different examples to see how these three options might play out.  
 

ev examples


Things to note:

  • The cost per kilowatt of the EV Purchase Option (EVPO) will always be lower than the EV Service Charge (EVSC) cost per kilowatt.
  • You will not receive a refund or credit for unused or excess charge left in the battery at the time of return.
  • The cost of recharging the EV yourself at a local charging station will generally be lower than the EV Service Charge or the EV Purchase Option.
  • However, the EV Service Charge and the EV Purchase Option allow for the convenience of not having to stop and recharge the car prior to return.
     

Maximizing Your EV Battery's Life

The good news is, it’s easy to avoid low or dead EV car batteries. Currently, there are more than 50,000 charging stations across the US. And with planned government initiatives to install hundreds of thousands more, you can find plenty of opportunities to charge an electric car rental before you return it to us.

  • Charge before any trip – the more charge your battery has, the less often you’ll need to find a charging station.
  • Check your battery’s display – EVs help you to monitor your battery charge by displaying the percentage on your touchscreen while you drive.
  • Observe pop-up notifications – intelligent design on EVs means you can be kept up to date with alerts and warnings if you’re in danger of losing too much charge. And they can suggest nearby charging stations.
  • Monitor and anticipate – keep in mind that extreme weather and the excessive use of car features can run the battery down.
  • Keep your battery charge above 10% - If it falls below 20% the charge time increases, and below 10% the battery can become badly damaged.
  • Battery life can be affected by road conditions - rough, gravel, or unpaved roads can work the battery harder, so try to avoid terrain that could cause problems.
  • Charge whenever you park – including any overnight stays.
  • Supplement with rapid charging where possible.
  • Use Network Charging Stations to charge when renting – it will save time as you won’t need to register with new providers every time you charge. And you’ll avoid the potential cost of doing so.
  • Follow the instructions of each charging station that you use - If you misuse or damage a charging station, we’ll have to pass on any fees we may receive for the car you rent from us. And please use cables in a responsible and considerate manner to avoid harm to others.
  • If you’re topping up the battery from a public charger, don’t forget to move the vehicle after charging. Idle fees are in place to stop EV drivers from leaving their car plugged into a charging station too long, and we may have to pass on to you any Idle Fees you are billed.
  • Communicate a lost, stolen, or damaged EV key fob or charge card to your Hertz location as soon as possible. The sooner we know there’s an issue, the quicker we can start working to resolve it. For security, keep the fob on its key ring at all times.
  • Don’t use charging cables in normal domestic power outlets.

 

Which Electric Car Rental Has the Best Range?

The electric car rental with the largest range at Hertz is the Tesla Model Y. It has a total range of up to 330 miles, meaning you can travel further before you need to worry about your rental car battery dying.

Let's Go!

Ready to experience the future of car rentals with our electric fleet? Reserve your electric car now and embark on your next adventure with Hertz.
 

* Terms and Conditions. 
 

Electric Vehicles