Hertz rolls Polestar 2 into Australian rental fleet

Hertz’s Australian agencies have received their share of the international car renter’s 65,000 Polestar 2 purchase, with the electric vehicle now available in every major Australian city.

The Polestar 2 which joined Hertz rental fleet in Australia today. Picture: Supplied

Hertz is looking to revolutionise its rental car fleet in Australia with the addition of the Polestar 2 electric vehicle, which has become available in every major Australian city from today.

The new Swedish-made electric vehicles, which Hertz has made available at all major airports, form part of a larger move towards a completely electric fleet, according to Hertz APAC vice president Eoin Macneill.

The Australian last week joined Mr Macneill for a test drive of the vehicle along the Great Pacific Drive, a 140km stretch of road with ocean views near the Royal National Park in NSW.

Mr Macneill said one day Hertz would only rent electric vehicles and its purchase of the Polestar 2, part of a global 65,000 vehicle purchase, signal the company’s commitment toward a greener future, providing a “try before you buy” approach for potential buyers.

“(Consumers) will notice that there’s not a lot of things to adapt to. It’s pretty normal driving platform, except for obviously the fact that it’s battery,” he said.

The Polestar 2 which joined Hertz rental fleet in Australia today.

Like anything new, the car takes some getting used to. Modelled off of the XC40 from Volvo, Polestar’s parent company, the vehicle is slightly longer than your average sedan.

In some respects, the simplicity of the vehicle as well as its air cabin-like lighting and overhead buttons capable of calling emergency services and Polestar assistance, makes the drive feel somewhat like a flight.

Being all things electric, the car’s infotainment console is entirely touch screen, with the ability to adjust creeping settings for hill stops, power steering and sports mode all available via the same screen that allows you to browse through Spotify playlists.

The driving aspect was mostly smooth, although the regenerative braking – an assisted braking mode which charges the battery as the vehicle slows down – takes some getting used to, applying braking pressure from the moment acceleration ceases.

Mr Macneill said almost every app in the Google Play Store would soon become available in the vehicle including Netflix. Currently Google Maps and Spotify are already pre-loaded, with most apps able to be logged into the same way a customer would on a smart TV or monitor.

The issue of range anxiety appears to be solved in the Polestar 2, with a range of between 400-430km off a full charge. That charge would take around 20 hours from a power outlet at home or 30m via a fast charging station.

Hertz Polestar 2s will be rented with free charging from network Evie for the first three months. The company will later develop an app mapping charging stations across the country, Mr Macneill said.

“We’re also working really closely with the airports to build out Evie charging infrastructure because obviously when these vehicles come back, they’ll need to be fully charged,” he said.

Hertz describes the new rental as convenient for five passengers with two large suitcases and a small suitcase. The Australian understands a soft launch of the vehicle as a rental took place around two weeks ago.

To rent a Polestar 2 from Hertz Sydney Airport for 24 hours on Thursday would cost a user $189.19 if paid in advance or $212.88 if booked first and paid upon pick up.

A Polestar 2 costs between $189.19 and $212.88 to rent from Hertz. Source: Supplied

Mr Macneil said Hertz is heading toward a complete digitisation of the business, a model in which renters will be able to organise rental cars, unlock them and extend rental time, all from a mobile app.

Like any device connected to the internet, the Polestar 2 isn’t immune to its downloads which render the vehicle undriveable for about 1.5 hours at a time. Like a computer, they can be scheduled.

As for internet connection, the Polestar 2 comes with three years of connectivity before buyers would need to purchase their own plan.

While the Polestar 1 never landed in Australia, the Polestar 2 arrived in February, selling 656 over the past six months.

A Polestar spokeswoman said the company would attempt to aggressively stake its territory in the Australian EV market next year ahead of the arrival of the Polestar 3 around Q3, 2023.

Mr Macneill said given the traditional rental car cycle, Hertz’s electric vehicle would help supply the used car market.

“We cycle out of these cars quicker than traditional car owners so there will be used EVs from our fleets in the used car market,” he said.

Incentives to purchase an electric vehicle vary from state to state, with NSW abolishing stamp duty and providing a cash rebate of up to $3000 for the first 25,000 EVs purchased for no more than $68,750.

The NSW Government has previously signalled it intends to transition its own vehicle fleet to electric and that it has committed $171m to EV infrastructure across the state.

The complete Polestar electric vehicle range. Picture: Supplied