Polestar has begun deliveries of its Polestar 2 electric fastback to Hertz in a major deal to electrify the global car rental giant’s retail and rideshare fleets.

Polestar will supply Hertz with more than 65,000 cars over the next five years, marking one of the largest-ever single orders for electric cars

The partnership was announced this spring and will see Polestar supply 65,000 cars over the next five years, marking one of the largest-ever single orders for electric cars.

The Hertz deal initially rolls out with the Polestar 2, with other models expected to follow. The Polestar 3 electric SUV arrives later this year, followed by the Polestar 4 in 2023 and the flagship 5 saloon in 2025. Hertz is also adding the Polestar 1 electric performance hybrid to its Dream fleet, allowing customers to experience the high-performance carbon fibre sports GT first hand.

The partnership supports plans by Hertz to offer customers the largest EV rental fleet in North America and one of the largest in the world.

“We’re excited to add this first delivery of Polestars to our fleet, expanding the opportunities for Hertz customers to enjoy the experience of driving an electric vehicle,” said Darren Arrington, executive vice president, revenue management and fleet acquisition for Hertz.

The deal will further drive the growth and profile of Polestar; the brand’s long-term plan is to increase annual sales to approximately 290,000 cars by the end of 2025. Since the start of 2022, it’s already taken over 32,000 customer orders for the Polestar 2, up 290% on the same period in 2021.

“Our partnership with Hertz is an exciting milestone that provides the opportunity for a significant number of potential new customers to experience an EV for the first time, and it will be in a Polestar,” said Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar. “With over 55,000 Polestar cars already on the road across our 25 live markets there is no doubt that our brand is growing at an incredible pace.”