If the winds of change in Europe’s auto rental industry are any indication, the next series of gusts will probably have less of a petroleum aroma to them. The continent’s going the electric vehicle route in a big way, and the latest move by Germany’s car rental firm nextmove is accelerating the transitional timetable even faster.

As first reported in Clean Technica, nextmove is rolling the dice on a massive order of 100 Tesla Model 3 vehicles. So far, four of the electric-powered cars have arrived at the agency, which intends to have the rest of the fleet available at all 10 of its offices once delivery is complete. The company already has a massive selection of electric vehicles for its green-minded client base including Tesla’s Model S and Model X. Other brands rounding out its current fleet of 350 cars include the Audi e-tron, Hyundai IONIQ, Jaguar I-Pace and the Nissan Leaf 2.

However, a purchase of this magnitude signifies that nextmove is getting more serious about delivering eco-friendly services every time one of its fleet is booked to hit the road. It’s also good news for Telsa in that such a massive delivery displays confidence in a vehicle that had a rough start in the production phase.

As recently as 2018, Tesla has had problems reaching its production goals, manufacturing only about 40 percent of its targeted weekly rollout of 5,000 vehicles. Plants had to be shut down for upgrading, while employees worked around the clock to meet company objectives.

However, nextmove seemed satisfied that those problems have since been mitigated, given that the deal with Tesla, reportedly worth $US 5.67 million, is a heavy investment that further emphasizes the rental company’s eco-friendly direction. Facilities for Tesla vehicles, such as service centers and recharging stops, are already operational in Germany, adding to the convenience of renting a Tesla.

While nextmove hasn’t demonstrated any nervousness over Tesla Model 3 availability, they may have been impressed by the car’s performance, given that it was not only America’s best-selling premium vehicle, but also the world’s best-selling electric car.

Testing of the Tesla Model 3 by nextmove staff revealed that the car’s driverless technology allowed the vehicle to drive nearly 700 miles while unmanned. The model can also reportedly run for roughly 670 miles without recharging.

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