15K Uber drivers riding rented Tesla cars in US

Ride-hailing platform Uber on Tuesday announced that more than 15,000 drivers in its fleet are driving Tesla cars via its partnership with car rental company Hertz.

Tesla has started deliveries to car rental service provider Hertz against its huge 100,000-vehicle order announced last year.

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According to Uber, the Hertz deal is its “largest-ever expansion” of EVs on a mobility platform in North America, reports The Verge.

There have been more than 5 million Tesla rides driving over 40 million miles since the programme started last year, according to the company.

Uber drivers who wish to rent a Tesla must complete at least 150 trips and maintain a 4.85-star rating to be eligible.

It costs about $300 a week to rent the Tesla, and drivers receive an extra dollar per trip (max $4,000 a year) in select US cities.

The Hertz-Tesla deal was the biggest-ever rental car order for electric vehicles.

It was reported Hertz would pay $4.2 billion for 100,000 Model 3s over the next 14 months, which amounts to about a fifth of its fleet.

The rental firm would also build a network of charging stations.