SDRAC-Hertz has also signed an extension as IGEM’s official EV partner till 2030.
Sime Darby Rent-A-Car (SDRAC), the exclusive franchise license holder for Hertz in Malaysia, has recently presented four EVs to the Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP) for official use. This handover came as the result of a pioneering EV lease agreement that is inked between SDRAC-Hertz and MBIP during the recent International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia (IGEM) 2023.
Notably, this agreement makes Hertz the first car rental company in Malaysia to provide EV leasing services to a city council. MBIP, in turn, becomes the first city council in the country to leverage the benefits of EV leasing for its operational fleet, with apparently plans for further expansion in the future too.
Under this deal, Hertz, facilitated by SDRAC, will lease the four electric vehicles to MBIP for one year starting October 2023. Out of the four EVs leased, one is a Hyundai Ioniq 5 Plus, which will be used by Iskandar Puteri mayor Dato’ Haji Mohd Haffiz bin Haji Ahmad as his official vehicle. The three other cars meanwhile are to be the Hyundai Kona E-Max, which have incidentally been decked out in a police-esque blue and white livery and will be assigned to council enforcers to execute their daily duties.
This leasing agreement comes complete with a comprehensive package, including unlimited mileage, replacement car availability, coverage for maintenance, wear and tear, insurance, road tax, and 24/7 roadside assistance support. To ensure a seamless experience for MBIP too, SDRAC-Hertz also shoulders the responsibility of fleet maintenance for the leased vehicles, which ensures that the city council can fulfil its operational duties in managing the Iskandar Puteri township with minimal disruption and downtime.
The leased EVs were presented at the handover ceremony in Iskandar Puteri tto Housing and Local Government Exco Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor. SDRAC-Hertz was represented by Chief Operating Officer Nahar Hakimy, while MBIP was represented by Mayor Dato’ Haji Mohd Haffiz bin Haji Ahmad and Chief Whip Datuk Abd. Rashid Kasman. Also present at the signing ceremony was Puan Elina binti Jani, CEO of Greentech Malaysia Alliances (GTMA) as a witness of the event.
This EV lease agreement with MBIP is however only to be one of two green mobility initiatives by SDRAC-Hertz aimed at bolstering the adoption of EVs within the car rental space. The second green mobility initiative from the car rental company comes in the form of extending its role as the official EV rental partner of IGEM until 2030. As the designated EV rental partner for IGEM, SDRAC-Hertz will provide attendees with unfettered access to its fleet of electric vehicles, making environmentally responsible transportation options readily available.
“These two strategic partnerships reflect our commitment to sustainable transportation solutions, perfectly complementing the Sime Darby Group’s ESG target of having more than 50 percent energy-efficient products in its portfolio by 2025,” said Nahar Hakimy, Chief Operating Officer, Sime Darby Rent-A-Car–Hertz Malaysia.
“We have taken strides towards reducing our carbon footprint by incorporating a growing fleet of electric vehicles into our offerings. Beyond fleet choices, we have also integrated digitalisation and sustainability features into our operations,” he added.
Elina binti Jani, CEO of GreenTech Malaysia Alliances (GTMA) meanwhile stated: “The collaboration between IGEM and SDRAC-Hertz marks another long-term partnership aligning with IGEM’s overarching mission of Race Towards Net Zero. SDRAC-Hertz is undeniably leading the charge in prioritising environmentally friendly transportation, positioning itself as a prominent industry leader dedicated to climate action. We hope that this collaboration would spur more public-private sector partnerships to propel Malaysia’s Net Zero transition pathways,”.
