No, that isn't what TFA says at all. The author of TFA is randomly interjecting an anecdote when they (the author of the article, not the subject of the article

No, that isn't what TFA says at all. The author of TFA is randomly interjecting an anecdote when they (the author of the article, not the subject of the article) rented a Tesla from Hertz, and it was at 98%. This is a completely distinct person and rental incident from the customer being charged the $277 fee, as is clearly indicated by the change in first-person vs third-person. I assume the author added their 98% anecdote just to further the point that Hertz's customer charging policies are especially nonsensical, because they can require customers charging the car back to a level which is harmful to the battery health long-term.