LONDON, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hertz Global
Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:HTZ) has announced its sponsorship of the
DRIVE Innovation Center (www.drivetlv.com) launched by the Mayer
Group in Tel Aviv to promote the
development of cutting edge technology for the smart mobility
domain, including car rental.
The DRIVE Innovation Center is the first of its kind and will
introduce Hertz to Israeli-based start-ups and entrepreneurs to
provide them with guidance on car rental business model development
and value creation, as well as explore partnership opportunities.
Hertz will have first-hand insight into potentially disruptive
technologies with the chance to influence the development of the
next generation of innovative ideas.
Tyler Best, Hertz chief
information officer, said: "We are very excited to join the DRIVE
community of smart mobility innovators in the 'Silicon Wadi.' Being
involved in initiatives like the DRIVE Innovation Center program
enables us to stay connected to development efforts around the
world. It also complements our own research and development
activity, which is aimed at helping us remain competitive and truly
differentiated in this rapidly emerging sector.
"Additionally, we are pleased with the opportunity to work with
fellow DRIVE sponsors Volvo Cars, Honda Silicon Valley Lab, and
Israeli telematics company Ituran," added Best.
Michel Taride, group president of Hertz International, added:
"Through the DRIVE concept, we will be collaborating with start-ups
and entrepreneurs in Israel on
defining real-world applications for their ideas for smart mobility
including car rental, and providing them with the opportunity to
pilot their initiatives. Our ambition is to seek out and influence
the development of disruptive innovation to transform aspects of
our core business model as well as drive customer experience to a
whole new level."
The Hertz sponsorship of DRIVE also builds upon the company's
long-standing partnership with Mayer Cars and Trucks LTD, which has
operated Hertz car rental and leasing in Israel for more than 40 years.
The DRIVE center incorporates a start-up accelerator, advanced
prototyping labs and co-working space. The building itself
has been designed with meeting rooms and shared open work spaces
that encourage networking and collaboration. The center is located
at Shevach, 7 Tel Aviv.
DRIVE will be led by founding partners Omer Shachar, Dr. Tal
Cohen and Boaz Mamo. Mr
Shachar is an investment executive from the Mayer Group. Dr.
Tal Cohen serves as adjunct
associate professor at the Georgia Institute
of Technology in Atlanta,
and is an entrepreneur who has founded and invested in companies
now worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Mr. Mamo is a specialist
in smart mobility entrepreneurship and founder of EcoMotion and
Capsule, a smart mobility accelerator.
About Hertz
The Hertz Corporation operates the Hertz,
Dollar, Thrifty and Firefly vehicle rental brands in approximately
10,000 corporate and franchisee locations throughout North America, Europe, Latin
America, Africa, the
Middle East, Asia, Australia, and New
Zealand. The Hertz Corporation is one of the largest
worldwide airport general use vehicle rental companies, and the
Hertz brand is one of the most recognized in the world. Product and
service initiatives such as Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, Carfirmations,
Mobile Wi-Fi and unique vehicles offered through the Adrenaline,
Dream, Green and Prestige Collections set Hertz apart from the
competition. Additionally, The Hertz Corporation owns the vehicle
leasing and fleet management leader Donlen Corporation, operates
the Hertz 24/7 car sharing rental business in international markets
and sells vehicles through Hertz Car Sales. The Hertz Corporation
is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.
For more information about The Hertz Corporation, visit:
www.hertz.com.
About Mayer Group
For more than four decades, the
Mayer Group has leveraged a far-reaching vision and solid,
value-oriented management to become one of the trailblazers in the
Israeli automobile market. Mayer's activities include import, sales
and service for top private and commercial automotive brands,
car-rental and leasing, public transportation, bus manufacturing,
tires import and others.
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SOURCE Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.