Hertz charges Tesla renter for more than $400 of petrol

A US Hertz customer who rented a Tesla Model 3 shared their shock after being charged a “refuelling fee” – despite returning the electric vehicle (EV) with a full charge, and its inability to be filled with fuel.

The Drive reports Joshua Lee had rented the Tesla Model 3 for a weekend in Los Angeles and attempted to return the EV to Hertz at the conclusion of his trip.

Upon doing so however, Mr Lee said he was hit with a charge of US$277.39 (A$418.81) as the EV required “refuelling” – even though it runs on battery power.

While this may seem like a simple case of miswording, Mr Lee not only returned the Model 3 with a 96 per cent charge – allegedly the same level as when he picked it up – but he had forked out for Hertz’s “Skip the Pump” option.

Hertz also limits its maximum recharge fee to US$35 (A$52.80), or around one eighth of the fee Mr Lee was charged.

After rounds of back-and-forth with Hertz, Mr Lee agreed to pay the fee.

However, the rental giant has since rectified the situation, apologising to Mr Lee and refunding the charge.

The story of the renter’s erroneous charge comes as Hertz slims down its EV lineup, due to rising repair costs and depreciation.