After piloting the program in September, Hertz will now sell used vehicles directly to consumers online through Carvana.

Like its peers in the rental-car space, Hertz has traditionally leaned on auctions, direct-to-dealer programs and its network of retail locations to remarket used inventory from its fleet.

The partnership between the rental giant and Carvana announced Wednesday, however, broadens Hertz’s vehicle disposition avenues and provides the company “a more efficient direct-to-consumer sales channel, giving Hertz the opportunity to reduce its reliance on wholesale disposition,” it said.

“Our new partnership with Carvana will help Hertz provide a tech-enabled and scalable channel through the lifecycle of our fleet,” Hertz interim chief executive officer Mark Fields said in a news release.

“This is another step toward the new Hertz — combining our brand strength and global fleet expertise with new technology and innovations to chart a dynamic, new course for the future of travel, mobility and the auto industry,” Fields said.

Hertz has retailed vehicles through its 68 Hertz Car Sales location. The partnership with Carvana allows Hertz to cast a wider net and sell into additional markets.

“Carvana’s technology and infrastructure enable this partnership to bring online car buying experiences to more customers,” Carvana founder and CEO Ernie Garcia said in a release. “Our nationwide first-party logistics network allows Hertz to expand its retail reach beyond its physical stores and into over 300 markets across the country.”

Hertz previously had a similar partnership with online car sales platform Shift, which was announced in 2016.

Hertz teams with Uber on EVs

In other news from the company, Hertz announced a partnership with Uber on Wednesday in which they will make as many as 50,000 Tesla vehicles available for Uber drivers to rent.

Beginning Monday, Uber drivers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Washington, D.C. will be able to rent Teslas via Hertz. The rental car company plans to expand the program nationally in coming weeks.

“Today’s partnership with Uber is another major step forward in Hertz becoming an essential component of the modern mobility ecosystem and executing on our commitment to being an environmentally forward company,” Fields said. “We are creating the new Hertz and charting a dynamic, new course for the future of travel, mobility and the auto industry.”

Hertz has partnered with Uber since 2016, providing its driver baser with rental options. With this latest program, Hertz is providing as many as 50,000 Tesla units by 2023 that will be exclusively for Uber drivers.

Pending the success of the program, Hertz may expand that to 150,000 Tesla units during the next three years.

Hertz provides a preferred weekly rate on rentals for participating Uber drivers that includes insurance, basic maintenance and unlimited miles.

“Climate change is an urgent global challenge we must all tackle together, and now is the time to drive a green recovery from the pandemic,”  Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a news release. “This combines the power of Tesla, Hertz and Uber to help accelerate the transition to zero-emissions mobility. We look forward to seeing more EVs on the road right away.”

Uber drivers who rent a Tesla via Hertz can save on gas, tap into higher earnings potential, access the Tesla Supercharger network and tap into discounts and other perks through Uber’s EVgo and Green Future programs.

 As part of a major EV investment announced earlier this week, Hertz plans on an initial order of 100,000 Teslas by the end of next year. Hertz is also investing in new EV charging infrastructure throughout its global operations.

The current order would give EVs more than a 20% share of Hertz’s global fleet, the company said. Hertz plans to have a combination of Level 2 and DC faster charging in roughly 65 markets by the end of next year. It plans having that in 100 markets by the end of 2023.

In the short term, what Hertz has in store is the ability for consumers to rent Tesla Model 3 vehicles at Hertz airport and neighborhood locations. That will begin early next month and be available in major U.S. market and select European cities.

The company plans to install of chargers at its locations. In fact, there will be 3,000 Tesla supercharging stations throughout the U.S. and Europe for Model 3 renters to use, Hertz said.

Tesla renters will also be able to tap into digitized guidance to show them the ropes on EVs. Additionally, Hertz plans to launch an expedited EV rental booking process in its mobile app.

More details on that, and how Hertz is turning to all-pro quarterback Tom Brady to market its EV offerings, can be found here.