Car rental company Hertz and oil giant BP have struck a deal to build out a network of EV charging stations in the United States.
According to a memorandum of understanding signed by the two parties, Hertz and BP plan to install a national network of EV charging solutions for Hertz and its customers, powered by BP Pulse, the oil company's global electrification and charging solution brand.
The agreement also involves the management of Hertz's charging infrastructure by BP Pulse and the customization of the latter's Omega software to ensure Hertz's growing fleet of electric rental cars are recharged quickly and efficiently between rentals. Omega is designed to support fleet operations by automating charging when the power price is low, while providing real-time visibility to EVs, chargers, power usage, and more.
Many of the chargers will be installed at Hertz locations across North America to serve both Hertz customers, including taxi and ride sharing drivers, and the general public. Hertz says it has invested in thousands of charging stations across its locations, and the partnership with BP Pulse will enable it to substantially expand its national charging footprint.
"We are excited to partner with bp pulse to create a national charging infrastructure for the Hertz EV fleet, thereby growing the number of charging options available to our customers and providing them with a premium electric experience and lower emission travel options."
Stephen Scherr, Hertz CEO
This deal will support BP Pulse's goal of expanding its global network of high-speed charging for cars, light commercial vehicles, and trucks to more than 100,000 chargers by 2030, 90 percent of which will be rapid or ultra-fast chargers.
Over the past year, Hertz has announced large-scale EV purchases from Tesla (100,000), Polestar (65,000) and GM (175,000). The company currently has "tens of thousands of EVs" in its fleet, available at 500 Hertz locations across 38 states.
The car rental company's goal is for one-quarter of its fleet to be electric by the end of 2024, with continued growth through acquisitions from various EV manufacturers. Hertz says that by the end of 2022, the growing network of charging stations available to its vehicles will reach 3,000.
BP acquired fleet charging and energy management company Amply Power in 2021 and rebranded it as BP Pulse. The company already began installing charging infrastructure at 25 Hertz rental locations in multiple states this year.
