11/ 30/ 2007
Save money and the environment with your next rental car
Resolving to cut travel expenses this year? Next time you rent a car, ask about the availability of fuel-efficient and alternative fuel vehicles. In response to the rising cost of fuel and a growing corporate demand for environmentally friendly transportation, car rental companies are boosting their green offerings. Here's a quick rundown of what's out there:
This summer, Hertz Global Holdings announced plans to expand its availability of hybrid cars, adding 3,400 Toyota Prius hybrids by 2008 and stocking the majority of its fleet with fuel-efficient vehicles that get 28 to 32 miles per gallon. To reduce urban congestion, the company also offers hourly rentals at three Manhattan locations, with plans to expand that option to other stores.
Avis Budget Group offers a fuel-efficiency rating of at least 28 miles per gallon in more than 50 percent of its vehicles. It also plans to add the Toyota Prius hybrid at locations in California, Portland, Ore., Seattle and Washington, D.C.
In addition to hourly rentals, Enterprise Rent-A-Car has designated its Washington, D.C., branch as the "E85/FlexFuel branch," where more than half of its fleet will be able to use fuels consisting of 85 percent ethanol. The company also has more than 3,000 gas-electric hybrid vehicles in its fleet, with 47 percent getting 28 miles per gallon.
