> FYI Hertz already announced that they will require a minimum charge of 10% for returned cars. So they thought about it and deemed it worthy to comment on in the announcement.
That may just be to help avoid people planning poorly and running out of battery trying to just barely make it back to the return. There's almost certainly nothing magical about 10%, and charging the car from 5% will be almost no difference. It wouldn't surprise me if they don't charge a fee as long as they can still get it over to the cleaning bay or a parking spot with a charger.
They're likely just setting ground rules for people who have never used EVs. It's not quite as easy to solve if you run out of juice half a block away from where they want it to be returned. Or if it won't start but you got it parked in a spot out front without a charger. "It doesn't need to be full but please leave 10%" is a fair rule of thumb.
> If you don't require your customers to return a full vehicle, they don't need to deliver them full to the customer either.
Every U-Haul I've rented in the US works the way you're describing: you fill it to where they tell you. Not to a full tank.
That may just be to help avoid people planning poorly and running out of battery trying to just barely make it back to the return. There's almost certainly nothing magical about 10%, and charging the car from 5% will be almost no difference. It wouldn't surprise me if they don't charge a fee as long as they can still get it over to the cleaning bay or a parking spot with a charger.
They're likely just setting ground rules for people who have never used EVs. It's not quite as easy to solve if you run out of juice half a block away from where they want it to be returned. Or if it won't start but you got it parked in a spot out front without a charger. "It doesn't need to be full but please leave 10%" is a fair rule of thumb.
> If you don't require your customers to return a full vehicle, they don't need to deliver them full to the customer either.
Every U-Haul I've rented in the US works the way you're describing: you fill it to where they tell you. Not to a full tank.