Tesla Job Listing Hints At Upcoming In-House EV Rental Program
A new job listing indicates there's a budding rental program behind closed doors over at Tesla, though the full scope of the business move remains to be seen. According to the listing, which was first spotted and shared by Sawyer Merrit, Tesla is hiring someone to help manage the launch of a "small pilot" that will operate at the automaker's handful of collision sites in Texas. That refers to the centers where Tesla owners can have their EVs worked on following a "light collision."
When viewed within that frame of reference, it is reasonable to assume the rental program mentioned in the job listing will be targeted at existing Tesla customers — specifically, those who were in a wreck and are in need of a temporary rental while their own EV is repaired. Because the Texas launch is described as a pilot, it's likely the company will expand the rental program to its other collision centers outside of the state once the process is refined. However, the bigger question is whether Tesla may be planning to offer rentals outside of the realm of vehicle repair.
You can already rent Tesla EVs
The idea of renting an EV instead of a gasoline-powered car is no longer novel — in fact, Hertz recently announced plans to buy up to 65,000 Polestar EVs in its mission to expand its battery-powered rental fleet. That figure is eclipsed by the number of Tesla EVs Hertz has purchased, however. The rental company had received 50,000 of its planned 100,000 Tesla EVs as of February 2023, giving the average person the chance to drive one of these cars even if they aren't ready to purchase their own battery-powdered wheels.
Whether Tesla will in some way expand upon third-party rentals with its own rental program is unknown at this time. The company is no stranger to offering products outside of straight EV purchases, of course — there's the Tesla automotive insurance available to customers in certain locations, for example. Regardless, having a way to directly offer its own customers rental vehicles to use while their own cars are being worked on will no doubt go a long way toward making its own products a little more desirable — and it may need all the help it gets as the competition grows stronger.