Hertz will begin selling used cars on Amazon Autos, marking a major step in expanding its retail operations as the car rental giant looks to drive higher profits. The announcement, reported on Wednesday, sent Hertz shares soaring.
The partnership allows customers to browse thousands of used Hertz vehicles on Amazon Autos, complete paperwork electronically, purchase online, and collect their cars at Hertz locations. Starting immediately, the service is available to buyers within 75 miles of Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and Seattle, with plans to expand to 45 locations across the United States.
The deal provides Hertz, best known for its car rental services, with greater visibility and a potential profit lift in its retail car sales segment. It also strengthens Amazon’s growing autos business, which it launched last December through a partnership with Hyundai and expanded earlier this year to include used and certified pre-owned vehicles. Hertz becomes Amazon Autos’ first fleet dealer, offering models from Ford, Toyota, Chevrolet, Nissan, and other major brands.
“Hertz sells hundreds of thousands of vehicles annually alongside its rental business,” said Jeff Adams, executive vice president of Hertz Car Sales. “Our goal is to reimagine the car-buying experience and meet customers where they are, whether online or in person, with convenience, confidence, and scale. Amazon Autos is the ideal partner to help us deliver on this.”
The collaboration is part of Hertz’s broader ‘Back-to-Basics Roadmap’ introduced after setbacks during the Covid-19 pandemic and a failed EV push. Under CEO Gil West, the strategy focuses on strengthening fleet management, optimizing revenues, cutting costs, and boosting retail operations through brand visibility and strategic partnerships.
Hertz reported its strongest-ever first quarter for retail vehicle sales earlier this year. West also highlighted momentum in its Rent2Buy program, which lets customers rent a vehicle for three days before deciding to purchase. The program is set to expand to more than 100 U.S. cities.
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