Latest news with #carrental
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Bloomberg
Germany's Merz Criticizes Plan to Make Car-Rental Firms Buy EVs
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized plans that newspaper Bild said the European Union is working on that would prohibit car-rental firms and large corporations from buying non-electric vehicles for their fleets from 2030. Under the deliberations, companies like Sixt SE and Europcar Mobility Group SA would only be allowed to purchase electric vehicles from that date, Bild reported on Sunday, citing EU sources it didn't identify.
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Bloomberg
Fintech OCN to Invest $150 Million for Expansion in Mexico
Mexican fintech OCN, which offers car rental models for gig workers, will invest $150 million in Mexico to help expand vehicle access for ride-hailing drivers in key cities in the country, according to a press release. The fresh capital will be deployed over the next 18 months to grow OCN's presence in Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Tijuana, and Querétaro — some of the country's most densely populated cities. The company plans to use the investment to triple its fleet to 15,000 vehicles from 5,000, and increase its workforce to 150 from 120.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Fury grows as Hertz slaps $935 fee on Navy Sailor for tiny dent... as Orwellian X-ray scandal spirals
In April, Nadia, a US Navy Sailor, rented a car from Hertz to visit her mother. After nine days, she returned the vehicle to Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. Before handing over the keys, she drove through an AI scanner at Hertz's request. Hours later, she received a message from Hertz and its new AI partner, UVeye, demanding $935: $500 for damage, and $435 in fees. The system had flagged two small dents on the passenger side. 'I know for a fact I didn't cause any of the damages,' she told 'I was primarily at my mother's house with the car parked.' Nadia's experience reflects a pattern emerging among Hertz customers. has spoken to scores of drivers who say the scanners are flagging dents, scrapes, and rim scuffs they don't recognize — and charging them with fees between $130 and $935 that are hard to refute. In April, Hertz announced its partnership with UVeye, an AI-equipped vehicle scanning company. The technology is already in use at five locations, with plans to expand in major airport-based rental spots by the end of the year. Hertz says the system improves driver safety, standardizes assessments, and catches hard-to-spot damage like undercarriage wear and tire scuffs. Independent experts said the AI scanners and the customer-facing problems they're creating are raising broader questions about automation — and what rights renters have when disputing a fee. Hertz initially told that these scanners were solely safety-focused. After customers started to complain, the company changed its tune: a spokesperson said 'fees are based on the actual losses and expenses we incur as a result of vehicle damage.' When pressed the company about its own policies, Hertz representatives have either ignored questions entirely or claimed not to understand them. Since July 2, has asked Hertz representatives five separate times to clarify whether damage charges fund actual repairs or compensate for diminished vehicle value. Hertz has still not answered this question after multiple follow-ups. When asked about company policies, Hertz representatives insisted on the publication of 'before photos' from customers rather than addressing questions about charging transparency. And as the scanners and their fees continue, more drivers are speaking out. Nadia, a US Navy Sailor, shared this damage charge with Hertz is operating at least five scanners across the US and it has plans to launch the tech in other major airports A customer who rented from Newark Liberty International Airport shared an email thread with after receiving a $416.95 bill for 'cosmetic damage to the tire rim' from the scanner — damage he says he never noticed. 'We paid the amount only because the online claims page presented legal threats and offered no way to speak with a real person,' the driver wrote to a Hertz representative. He asked for photo documentation to share with his credit card company. The human-led damage team replied that they 'do not have access' to those files. Hertz tells that it is integrating live agents into the UVeye applications to better assist customers with similar issues. Another renter said he was charged $130 for a tiny dent on a Kia K4 sedan — even though his three-day rental only cost $116 with an AAA discount. Other drivers claimed they were charged $130 for a dent 'the size of a fingernail,' and $195 for 'a very dubious and minor ding.' The new stories mirror accusations made by at least four other drivers in the past month. In early July, Adam Foley spoke exclusively to after he received a request for $285 after driving his rented Buick through the scanners. Adam Foley received a notification to 'save big!' if he paid the fine immediately - when he tried to refute the charge, he was only given an option to speak to an AI agent Like every case has reviewed, Hertz offered Foley a discount if he paid the fine immediately — and directed his dispute to an AI chatbot. 'It's a shakedown that is extremely off-putting,' Foley said. 'I used to view Hertz as one of the higher tier rental companies and my default, ideal choice.' While Hertz says live agents will soon come into the app, independent experts have warned that the lack of human agents is concerning. 'It is unacceptable that a resolution with a human is not possible,' said Dr Ramnath Chellappa, a digital market expert and professor at Emory University. 'If anything, AI should be reducing the human effort in assessment and walk-through with the vehicle; therefore, it should end up offering cost savings.' Collision experts aren't even sure the scanner identified definitive damage. 'There appears to be a very minor dent visible only under enhanced lighting and reflection distortion,' Alex Black, the chief marketing officer of EpicVIN, a vehicle history report company, said after analyzing pictures Foley shared. 'It's plausible that the second fine is a reflection or a smudge, not an actual dent.' Another Hertz renter said they received a $130 charge for this dent - their three-day rental period only cost $116 Black said he would have quoted $100 to $150 for the fix, not the $285 that Hertz had charged Foley. Every customer who spoke to about receiving a charge has said they will no longer use Hertz. The new claims also mirror accusations made to other major publications. On July 9, The New York Times interviewed a customer who was charged $195 for a small dent underneath a door handle, according to the article. 'It could have been a shadow,' Kelly Rogers, who rented the car with her husband, told the Times. 'We were pulling it up on the app, and we're like, "This is so bananas."' Another driver, identified as Patrick, told The Drive he got a $440 damage fee for a tire rash, a common scrape when motorists accidentally hit the curb when parking. Several people have also taken to Reddit to complain about the charges, including a driver who rented a Toyota Corolla, and claims they got a $190 fee for a small dent. asked UVeye about the company's involvement in assessing damage.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
EU to Force Car-Rental Firms to Buy EVs Only From 2030: Bild
(Bloomberg) -- The European Commission is working on a plan to prohibit car-rental firms and large corporations from buying non-electric vehicles for their fleets from 2030, according to German newspaper Bild. Why the Federal Reserve's Building Renovation Costs $2.5 Billion The Dutch Intersection Is Coming to Save Your Life Milan Corruption Probe Casts Shadow Over Property Boom Mumbai Facelift Is Inspired by 200-Year-Old New York Blueprint How San Jose's Mayor Is Working to Build an AI Capital Under the deliberations, companies like Sixt SE and Europcar Mobility Group SA would only be allowed to purchase electric vehicles from that date, the publication said, citing European Union sources it didn't identify. The move would affect 60% of the new car business, if enacted, it cited one Brussels lawmaker as saying. The Commission plans to present the proposal, which would be a de facto acceleration of the EU's plan to phase out combustion engines, later in the summer before submitting it for parliamentary approval, the newspaper said. The EU confirmed to Bild that work is underway on new regulations, while declining to provide details. The EU currently plans to phase out combustion vehicle sales by 2035. A Rebel Army Is Building a Rare-Earth Empire on China's Border Thailand's Changing Cannabis Rules Leave Farmers in a Tough Spot How Starbucks' CEO Plans to Tame the Rush-Hour Free-for-All What the Tough Job Market for New College Grads Says About the Economy Godzilla Conquered Japan. Now Its Owner Plots a Global Takeover ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Bloomberg
EU to Force Car-Rental Firms to Buy EVs Only From 2030: Bild
The European Commission is working on a plan to prohibit car-rental firms and large corporations from buying non-electric vehicles for their fleets from 2030, according to German newspaper Bild. Under the deliberations, companies like Sixt SE and Europcar Mobility Group SA would only be allowed to purchase electric vehicles from that date, the publication said, citing European Union sources it didn't identify.
