Amazon is expanding its auto marketplace, striking a deal with car-rental giant Hertz to sell certified used rental cars through Amazon Autos. Shoppers can browse, finance and lock in a vehicle online, then pick it up from a Hertz Car Sales lot in one of four launch cities, including Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Seattle. The program plans to eventually expand to all 45 Hertz Car Sales locations nationwide.
The partnership, announced last week, adds Hertz’s inventory to Amazon’s growing car-shopping platform, which debuted last December with Hyundai dealers. Vehicles will come with no-haggle pricing, a 115-point inspection, warranty coverage and a seven-day return window.
Hertz shares jumped as much as 7% on the news, while competitors Carvana, CarMax and CarGurus saw stock dips, underscoring how Amazon’s entry could reshape consumer expectations for buying cars online.
“We’re excited for Hertz Car Sales to join the hundreds of franchised dealers in our store, bringing thousands of additional vehicles for customers to choose from,” Fan Jin, global head of Amazon Autos, said in a statement. “This collaboration allows us to offer an expanded selection of well-maintained vehicles from more dealerships across the country, while maintaining the simplicity that customers expect from Amazon.”
‘Not a game-changer’
Still, some see limits to the move.
Antuan Goodwin, CNET senior writer and auto-industry expert, notes that while this change is certainly an expansion, it’s “not a game changer.”
“If Amazon were shipping cars to your house, this would be crazy, but you still have to get to the dealership within three days,” Goodwin said. “It’s just a different portal to the same used-car system.”
For now, the partnership highlights Amazon’s strategy to become the marketplace layer in auto retail, streamlining discovery and purchase, even if the last mile of pickup still rests with the dealer.
