NEW YORK: Car rental giant, Hertz, announced Monday an order to buy 100,000 autos from Tesla by the end of 2022 in the latest embrace of electric car technology by the auto industry.

Hertz, which emerged from a bankruptcy reorganisation earlier this year, said the electric vehicles would be available “in major markets of the US and selected cities in Europe” beginning early November, according to a statement issued by the company.

Hertz is also installing electric vehicles charging stations at its locations.

“Electric vehicles are now mainstream, and we’ve only just begun to see rising global demand and interest,” interim Hertz chief executive Mark Fields said.

“The new Hertz is going to lead the way as a mobility company, starting with the largest EV [electric vehicles] rental fleet in North America and a commitment to grow our electric vehicles fleet.”

Hertz exited the US Chapter 11 bankruptcy process in June, a little more than a year after filing to reorganise its finances, as the coronavirus pandemic devastated the travel industry.

However, with the global economy reopening in the wake of the Covid-19 vaccines, the car rental market has revived and rental companies are renewing their fleets.

Led by Elon Musk, Tesla has been ramping up production rapidly by increasing the output at the existing factories and building new plants in Germany and Texas.

Last year, conventional automakers such as General Motors and Volkswagen also announced significant new electric vehicles plans.

With the current order, the electric vehicles will comprise 20 per cent of Hertz’s global fleet. The company will have electric vehicle chargers in around 65 markets by the end of 2022 and more than 100 markets by the end of 2023, Hertz added.