• Hertz Global Holdings is launching a new digital sales channel by listing its used vehicle inventory on Amazon's Autos platform.
  • The partnership, beginning with a pilot program in Los Angeles, marks Amazon's significant entry into the used and certified pre-owned vehicle market.
  • The move leverages Hertz's fleet of over half a million well-maintained vehicles and Amazon's massive consumer reach, potentially reshaping automotive retail dynamics.

Hertz Global Holdings Inc. has forged a strategic partnership with Amazon.com Inc. to begin selling its used rental cars directly through the Amazon Autos platform, according to a recent corporate announcement. The initiative, which launched initially in Los Angeles, provides the car rental giant with a massive new digital storefront and represents Amazon's most substantial push yet into used automotive retail.

The program allows dealers to list their used and certified pre-owned inventory on Amazon, significantly increasing consumer access to a wider range of competitively priced vehicles. For Hertz, which operates its own Hertz Car Sales division, the deal offers a powerful new channel to manage its vast fleet turnover. The company maintains over half a million vehicles globally that are regularly cycled out of rental service and into the resale market.

A person familiar with the arrangement said the Los Angeles launch is viewed as a pilot program, with plans to rapidly expand the offering to additional major metropolitan areas if initial consumer uptake is strong. The move capitalizes on robust consumer demand for used vehicles, which has remained elevated amid ongoing new car affordability challenges and supply constraints that have persisted in the auto industry.

This isn't Amazon's first foray into car sales, but it is its most ambitious effort in the used vehicle segment. The e-commerce giant had previously focused its Amazon Autos platform primarily on new vehicle sales through partnerships with select dealers. By integrating Hertz's inventory and its existing dealer network, Amazon gains immediate scale and credibility in a market segment that has proven challenging for purely online players to master due to issues of trust and vehicle condition transparency.

Hertz has been investing in technology to support such digital initiatives, including a recent partnership with UVeye for AI-driven vehicle inspection systems aimed at standardizing quality assessments and bolstering consumer confidence in vehicles sold through online channels. Efforts to reach Amazon for additional comment on the partnership's financial terms were not immediately successful.

The collaboration signals a broader industry shift toward online car sales and increased competition for established used car marketplaces. It also reflects Hertz's ongoing focus on asset return and risk management, as highlighted in its record yearly performance for 2024 and recent extensions of major credit facilities that ensure liquidity for its operations.