The Hertz Corporation has announced a vehicle-subscription service intended to give consumers “even more flexibility and freedom with their transportation needs.”
The new service, “Hertz My Car,” available in Atlanta, Georgia, and Austin, Texas, will give customers access to Hertz's fleet of sedans, crossovers, SUVs, and trucks through an all-inclusive monthly subscription, Hertz said in a statement.
Hertz said that the service provides “insurance“ including “self-insured liability protection with limits of 100/300/50, and Loss Damage Waiver,“ which “waives the renter's responsibility after the first $1,000 for all damage to the rental car regardless of fault.“
Hertz said that it will offer two tiers of the program.
“Hertz My Car enables customers to choose vehicles that best match their needs and offers freedom and flexibility from vehicle ownership and maintenance costs, which is especially appealing to those seeking alternatives to owning or leasing a car,” said Jayesh Patel, Hertz's senior vice president of brand. “Atlanta and Austin are prime testing grounds with diverse and progressive communities and we look forward to combining the insights we gain there with our fleet management and service expertise to expand Hertz My Car leveraging our extensive network of more than 3,500 Hertz locations nationwide.”
Consumer preferences toward vehicle ownership and leasing are shifting. According to a survey by Cox Automotive, nearly 40 percent of those surveyed said that while access to transportation was necessary, owning a vehicle was not. For urban respondents, 57 percent said private vehicle ownership was not necessary to get from point A to point B.
Subscribers to Hertz My Car will be able to choose from two subscription tiers. Tier One, at $999, includes full-size sedans, small SUVs, and trucks, while Tier Two offers luxury sedans, regular SUVs, and large trucks for $1,399. Customers can exchange their vehicle twice a month to another make or model within the tier. The all-inclusive monthly subscription covers vehicle maintenance, roadside assistance, vehicle damage, and insurance, according to Hertz.
“As we see consumer transportation needs change, it's an exciting time to further evolve our products and services to deliver on our value proposition – at Hertz, we're here to get you there,” said Mr. Patel. “We feel well positioned to lead in vehicle subscription services. We've seen growth in our longer-term rentals in recent years which we believe is one of several positive indicators the time is right for this service. We also have a strong and consistent focus on enhancing our customers' experience including recent innovations such as our redesigned mobile app and Hertz Fast Lane powered by CLEAR that gets customers on the road faster than before.”
Learn more: www.hertz.com/hertzmycar.
Victoria Spears
Victoria Prussen Spears is senior vice president of Meyerowitz Communications Inc., a law firm marketing communications consulting company. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Brooklyn Law School, Ms. Spears was an attorney at a leading New York City law firm before joining Meyerowitz Communications. She may be contacted at [email protected].