Electric Vehicles May Become Harder to Rent

If you’ve been wanting to try an electric vehicle, renting can be an affordable option. But finding one may soon become much more difficult.

Electric vehicles have been financially disastrous for rental companies, especially Hertz, which in January scaled back plans to acquire 100,000 Teslas after the cars’ resale values plunged much faster than the company had expected.

Hertz’s experience had a chilling effect on its industry, and many rental car companies are now trying to sell off electric vehicles at deep discounts. And it may be a while before they start buying again.

Last year, more than 4 percent of the cars sold by manufacturers to rental companies were electric, according to S&P Global Mobility. So far this year, that number is just 1.4 percent.

In theory, renting an electric car is a great way for people to try and become comfortable with new types of vehicles like battery-powered cars that produce no tailpipe emissions. “The potential that rental companies can have in reshaping consumer behavior and helping to promote adoption is critical,” said Stephanie Valdez-Streaty, the director of industry insights at Cox Automotive. “But there’s a long way to go.”

Ms. Valdez-Streaty said rental firms had recently been offering good deals on electric vehicles, but those were unlikely to last as the companies thinned their fleets of such cars.