AllYouCanTech

Hertz Broadens Electric Vehicle Liquidation, Provides Renters the Choice to Buy Rather Than Return

### Hertz’s Electric Vehicle Liquidation: An In-Depth Examination of the Pre-Owned EV Market

The electric vehicle (EV) landscape has seen substantial growth in recent years, as both automakers and rental firms have increasingly welcomed the transition toward greener transportation. Nevertheless, not every initiative in the EV space has unfolded smoothly. In 2021, Hertz, the international car rental leader, garnered attention with its bold aim to acquire 100,000 Tesla Model 3s for its rental services. Fast forward to the present, and the company is in the process of divesting a noteworthy share of its EV stock, presenting some enticing offers for buyers.

### **Hertz’s EV Expedition: Aspirations and Obstacles**

Hertz’s initial venture into EVs was both daring and visionary. The firm sought to establish itself as a frontrunner in sustainable mobility by incorporating a significant fleet of EVs. By late 2021, Hertz declared its plan to purchase 100,000 Tesla Model 3s, demonstrating a robust commitment to an electric future. However, the execution of such an extensive EV initiative turned out to be more challenging than expected.

As of early 2023, Hertz had only obtained half of its target, citing logistical and operational difficulties. A critical issue was the high upkeep cost of EVs, especially Teslas. Reports indicated that repair expenses for Teslas were on average 20% steeper than for other electric vehicles, squeezing Hertz’s profit margins. On top of that, the demand from customers for EV rentals was lower than the company’s forecasts, adding further complications to its strategy.

In light of these challenges, Hertz revealed intentions to offload 20,000 EVs from its fleet, signaling a pivot in its approach to electric vehicles.

### **Purchasing a Pre-Owned EV from Hertz: What’s Available?**

Hertz’s choice to part with its EVs has opened the door for consumers eager to buy pre-owned electric vehicles at appealing prices. The company has reached out to its rental clientele with opportunities to purchase cars they’ve driven. For instance, a Reddit user recently posted an offer to acquire a 2023 Tesla Model 3 for merely $17,913—a price far below what many would anticipate for a nearly new Tesla.

Other offerings include a 2023 Chevy Bolt for slightly over $18,000 and a Polestar 2 priced at $28,500. These offers are particularly enticing, especially since some of these vehicles could still be eligible for federal tax credits, which would further lessen the total cost for buyers.

Hertz is also enhancing the offer by providing a limited 12-month, 12,000-mile powertrain warranty for each EV. Furthermore, purchasers have a seven-day return period to reconsider their decision, allowing for some reassurance for those new to owning electric vehicles.

### **Reasons Behind Hertz’s EV Sell-Off**

The choice to liquidate EVs is driven by various factors:

1. **High Repair Costs**: Electric vehicles, especially Teslas, have turned out to be more costly to maintain than originally anticipated, affecting Hertz’s profit margins and making it less feasible to sustain a large fleet of EVs.

2. **Lower-than-Projected Demand**: Although EV adoption is on the rise, many rental customers continue to favor conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, particularly for extended journeys where charging facilities may pose a challenge.

3. **Fleet Streamlining**: By selling off a segment of its EV stock, Hertz can refine its operations and concentrate on vehicles that yield better returns.

### **The Present Status of Hertz’s EV Stock**

Hertz’s EV liquidation process seems to be reaching its conclusion. In March 2024, the firm listed over 2,100 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) for sale on its pre-owned car platform. Currently, that figure has reduced to just 175, signifying that many of the most appealing deals have already been claimed.

For those still keen on acquiring a used EV from Hertz, quick action is advisable. The remaining stock is likely to sell out rapidly as more buyers recognize the value of these offers.

### **Is Acquiring a Used EV from Hertz a Wise Choice?**

For budget-minded shoppers eager to enter the EV market, Hertz’s pre-owned electric vehicles offer a compelling option. Here are several important aspects to consider:

– **Cost-Effectiveness**: The prices set by Hertz are frequently lower than those on the wider used car market, rendering these vehicles an excellent bargain.
– **Warranty Protection**: The included 12-month, 12,000-mile powertrain warranty provides extra assurance for buyers wary of potential repair expenses.
– **Return Option**: The seven-day return window permits buyers to evaluate the vehicle and confirm it fits their requirements.

Nonetheless, prospective buyers should also take into account the following:

– **Vehicle Condition**: As former rental cars, these EVs may have undergone greater-than-normal wear and tear. It is crucial to perform a comprehensive inspection of the vehicle and examine its maintenance record prior to finalizing a purchase.

FTC Launches Inquiry into Microsoft’s Software Bundling Methods

**Microsoft Faces FTC Investigation: Antitrust Issues Over Office Integration with Security and Cloud Offerings**

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has initiated an extensive investigation into Microsoft, examining whether the tech behemoth’s practices breach antitrust regulations. A key focus of the inquiry is Microsoft’s integration of its widely used Office suite with security and cloud services, a tactic that has sparked worries among both competitors and regulators.

### The Integration Debate

Microsoft’s method of integrating its Office programs—like Word, Excel, and Outlook—with cutting-edge cybersecurity and cloud services has significantly impacted the technology sector. While this strategy has enhanced Microsoft’s market presence, it has also attracted backlash for potentially hampering competition. A recent **ProPublica report** disclosed how this tactic enabled Microsoft to broaden its influence in the U.S. government arena, frequently at the detriment of rivals.

In 2021, in the wake of numerous significant cyber incidents, Microsoft provided federal agencies free enhancements to its advanced cybersecurity tools as part of their existing Office licenses. This promotional offer encompassed consulting services for implementing the upgrades. After the trial period concluded, many agencies, including the Department of Defense, began paying for these upgraded services, effectively binding them to Microsoft’s ecosystem. This action marginalized several existing cybersecurity providers and diminished market share for cloud services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), as agencies increasingly turned to Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform.

Critics have equated this approach to a “free sample” tactic, where users become reliant on the product and struggle to transition to alternatives. Some analysts contend that this strategy may have contravened regulations surrounding federal contracting and competition.

### Security Issues and Antitrust Scrutiny

Ironically, some of the cybersecurity issues that drove federal agencies to adopt Microsoft’s offerings were associated with flaws in Microsoft’s own products. For example, the **SolarWinds hack**, attributed to Russian state-sponsored attackers, leveraged a vulnerability in a Microsoft product to access confidential data from agencies like the National Nuclear Security Administration. ProPublica highlighted that Microsoft had been aware of the issue years before the breach but opted not to rectify it, fearing it would inconvenience users and negatively impact its competitive standing in the identity tools sector.

These identity tools, including Microsoft’s **Entra ID** (previously Azure Active Directory), are another area of interest in the FTC’s investigation. These tools are essential for controlling user access to cloud-based applications and often act as a portal for customers to embrace other Microsoft cloud services.

Microsoft has defended its choices, asserting that its decisions were motivated by “potential customer disruption, exploitability, and available mitigations.” The company has committed to prioritizing security moving forward, but the FTC considers Microsoft’s increasing dominance in federal contracts, despite its security shortcomings, as a potential illustration of market misconduct.

### A Track Record of Antitrust Challenges

This is not Microsoft’s initial brush with antitrust regulators. More than twenty years ago, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) sued the company for sustaining an unlawful monopoly in the operating system market. That pivotal case nearly culminated in Microsoft’s dissolution and resulted in a consent decree that imposed limits on its business behaviors.

The ongoing FTC inquiry seems to resonate with the concerns raised in the previous case. John Lopatka, an antitrust authority and former FTC advisor, remarked that Microsoft’s recent movements follow a “very recognizable pattern” of conduct. The FTC has sent a civil investigative demand—a type of subpoena—requiring Microsoft to furnish comprehensive details about its business operations.

### Political and Regulatory Considerations

The FTC’s inquiry arrives amidst increased scrutiny of Big Tech enterprises. Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, has urged for more robust antitrust enforcement, labeling Microsoft as “too big to fail.” The investigation also coincides with a leadership change at the FTC. President-elect Donald Trump has announced intentions to promote Commissioner Andrew Ferguson to head the agency, indicating a possible shift in regulatory focus. Ferguson has pledged to confront Big Tech’s “vendetta against competition and free speech.”

The findings of the FTC’s investigation could have significant repercussions for Microsoft’s business model and the wider technology landscape. If evidence of antitrust infringements is uncovered, it could result in considerable regulatory actions, including fines, limitations on bundling methods, or even structural modifications to Microsoft’s business.

### The Future Path

Microsoft’s integration strategy has undoubtedly transformed the tech environment, delivering cohesive solutions that resonate with many clients. Nonetheless, the FTC’s inquiry highlights the delicate balance between innovation and anti-competitive conduct. As regulators delve further into Microsoft’s operations, the outcome of the case could establish a benchmark for how tech giants are permitted to function in increasingly interconnected markets.

For the moment, Microsoft remains under scrutiny as it maneuvers through the intricate nexus of business tactics, competition, and regulatory oversight. Whether the company can uphold its leading position without further regulatory challenges remains to be determined.

“Investigating the Capabilities of Microwaved Grapes for Quantum Sensing Uses”

### Divided Grapes Enhance Magnetic Fields: A Revolutionary Step in Microwave Resonators

In an astonishing turn within the realm of science, the unassuming grape—once halved and placed in a microwave—has been discovered to have characteristics that may transform quantum sensing technologies. This unusual occurrence, long cherished by DIY science aficionados, has now undergone thorough examination, uncovering its potential as an alternate microwave resonator for groundbreaking applications in quantum computing, satellite systems, and even investigations into dark matter.

#### The Science Behind Grapes in Microwaves

The “microwaved grape phenomenon” has captivated scientists and enthusiasts for decades. When a grape is bisected, leaving a slender strip of skin linking both halves, and then microwaved, it emits sparks and a cloud of ionized gas referred to as plasma. This phenomenon was initially documented in 1994 and has since gained popularity as an experiment, with numerous YouTube clips displaying the captivating spectacle.

At first, researchers thought the plasma was produced due to the microwaves becoming highly concentrated within the grape’s tissue, fragmenting molecules to form charged ions. These ions, along with the grape’s inherent electrolytes, created an electromagnetic field that caused electrical discharges between the two pieces. However, in 2019, scientists from Trent University invalidated this theory. They found that the effect is not reliant on the skin bridge but rather on the establishment of an electromagnetic “hot spot” between the two halves. The grapes’ dimensions and refractive index capture microwaves, resulting in this hot spot. Notably, this effect is also observable in other similarly sized and composed items, such as gooseberries, large blackberries, quail eggs, and water-infused hydrogel beads.

#### Grapes as Quantum Sensing Microwave Resonators

Building upon this core insight, a recent article published in *Physical Review Applied* has investigated the potential for grapes to function as microwave resonators within quantum sensing scenarios. Quantum sensors are vital across a broad array of technologies, encompassing satellite communication, masers (microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation), microwave photon detection, and quantum computing. They also play a role in fundamental scientific inquiries, such as the hunt for axions, a conjectured particle linked to dark matter.

The new inquiry, directed by Ali Fawaz and team at Macquarie University, concentrated on the magnetic fields produced by microwaved grapes. While prior studies had mainly focused on the electrical fields associated with the plasma effect, this research showed that pairs of grapes could also amplify magnetic fields—an important characteristic for quantum sensing.

#### The Experiment: Grapes Combined with Nanodiamonds

To validate their theory, the researchers utilized specially engineered nanodiamonds. Unlike natural diamonds, nanodiamonds possess defect centers where select carbon atoms are substituted, creating minuscule magnetic fields. These defect centers are extremely responsive to environmental fluctuations, making them ideal candidates for quantum sensing.

The researchers placed a nanodiamond on a slender glass fiber and situated it between two halved grapes. When green laser light passed through the fiber, the defect centers in the nanodiamond emitted a red glow. By assessing the brightness of this luminescence, the researchers could ascertain the intensity of the magnetic field surrounding the grapes. Astoundingly, they discovered that the magnetic field doubled in strength when the grapes were present compared to when they were not.

#### Challenges and Future Prospects

Although the findings are encouraging, there are limitations to employing grapes as microwave resonators. The size and shape of the grapes are crucial; they must measure about 27 millimeters long to focus microwave energy at the ideal frequency for quantum sensing. Moreover, the system exhibited less stability and experienced greater energy loss in contrast to traditional materials like sapphires, commonly utilized in quantum sensing.

Despite these hurdles, the study paves the way for examining other water-rich substances that may provide similar advantages with enhanced stability. The researchers anticipate that future investigations could unveil more dependable alternatives while maintaining the unique benefits associated with water’s excellent microwave conductivity.

#### Implications for Quantum Technology

The revelation that grapes can augment magnetic fields for quantum sensing has significant ramifications. By harnessing the distinctive features of water-rich materials, scientists could create more efficient and economical quantum sensors. These devices could be crucial in propelling advancements in technologies like quantum computing, where precise magnetic field control is vital for manipulating qubits. Additionally, they could enhance satellite communication frameworks and facilitate more precise detection of microwave photons, which are essential for exploring fundamental physics phenomena such as dark matter.

#### Conclusion

What started as an amusing party trick has transformed into a remarkable scientific breakthrough. The capacity of halved grapes to amplify magnetic fields and serve as microwave resonators underscores the untapped possibilities of commonplace materials in sophisticated technological applications. Although much work remains on the horizon, this research serves as a testament that even the simplest objects can unlock solutions to some of the most intricate challenges in science and technology.

As researchers persist in exploring the confluence of quantum mechanics and unconventional materials,