ST. LOUIS, MO, Oct 27, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –
Customers now can rent electric vehicles (EV) from Enterprise
Rent-A-Car in 11 California cities. EVs and charging stations were
added to rental locations in Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, Encino,
Newport Beach and Riverside.
Enterprise already offers EVs in California at branches in Ontario,
Pasadena, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Monica and Thousand Oaks,
and operates the largest network of EV rentals in the state. With
more than 5,500 car rental locations within 15 miles of 90 percent of
the U.S. population, Enterprise is uniquely positioned to introduce
drivers to EV technology.
Santa Barbara
The Santa Barbara Community Environmental Council’s
Plug In Santa Barbara group is leading the charging station
installation efforts in the Santa Barbara area. Supported by a group
of cities, businesses and utilities, the group plans to have 50
charging stations installed in Santa Barbara County by the end of
2011 and is developing an EV Readiness Plan for the Central Coast.
“The addition of electric vehicles to Enterprise’s downtown Santa
Barbara rental location helps move us toward our goal of providing
residents and visitors with sustainable transportation options,” said
Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider. “EVs are a huge step forward
environmentally, as they average 100 mpg equivalent, produce zero
tailpipe emissions, and reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 75 percent
on California’s green grid.”
Palm Springs
Another community active in the advancement of electric
vehicle infrastructure and adoption is Palm Springs, California. City
of Palm Springs Sustainability Director Michele Mician was the first
renter of the local Enterprise’s Nissan LEAF.
“With partners like Enterprise, we are educating the community about
electric vehicles and other alternative fuel technologies that
decrease carbon emissions and further our urban sustainability and
mobility goals,” said Mician. “Providing sustainable transportation
options to our visitors and residents is incredibly valuable, and we
are lucky to have innovative companies like Enterprise leading the
way in our City.”
“We’re focusing much of our electric vehicle rental rollout efforts
in California due to the state’s commitment to EV infrastructure
development,” said Lee Broughton, head of corporate sustainability
for Enterprise Holdings, which owns and operates Enterprise
Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental, and this week
put out its inaugural Corporate Sustainability Report. “Our customers
can experience the ultimate test drive when renting a vehicle. With
the largest network of car rental locations, Enterprise is a key part
of the value chain, helping manufacturers conduct hundreds of
thousands of test drives that are essential to the adoption of new
technologies like EVs.”
EV rentals from Enterprise are available in California, Texas,
Tennessee, North Carolina, Portland, Seattle, Hawaii and New York.
Enterprise locations in Florida, Arizona and other states will also
offer EVs in the coming weeks. Enterprise currently rents Nissan
LEAFs and Chevy Volt EVs and does not charge a refueling fee for
vehicles returned without a full charge.
Enterprise’s focus on sustainable vehicle technology led it to join
the Electrification Coalition in 2010 and the U.S. Department of
Energy’s “Clean Cities” National Clean Fleets Partnership this year.
Customers can visit
www.enterprise.com to learn more about the
availability of EVs and hybrid rentals, or call 1-800-261-7331 to
make a reservation.
About Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Founded in 1957 and known for an
extensive network of locations, everyday low rates and outstanding
customer service, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is an internationally
recognized brand that has been named to BusinessWeek magazine’s
annual list of “Customer Service Champs” in 2007, 2008, 2009 and
2010. Enterprise also has ranked “Highest in Rental Car Customer
Satisfaction” among North American airport rentals for the last seven
years in a row, according to the 2004-2010 results of an annual North
American airport car rental survey of leisure and business travelers.
Further, Enterprise won Budget Travel magazine’s 2010 and 2011
Readers’ Choice Award as their favorite rental car brand for customer
service around the globe.
Enterprise operates more than twice as many locations as its nearest
competitor and continues to lead the home-city market, with local car
rental revenues currently experiencing double-digit growth.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car operates not only as a key provider for
insurance replacement, weekend getaways and special occasions, but
also as a local transportation alternative. For example, many
consumers rely on mass transit during the week or simply cannot
afford to purchase or maintain a vehicle on their own — so they
often depend on local Virtual Car(R) rental service and take
advantage of Enterprise’s “everyday low price,” including popular
weekend rates starting at $9.99 per day (the rate includes 100 free
miles a day). Enterprise received a 2010 Business Traveler Innovation
Award — sponsored by the National Business Travel Association (NBTA)
and The Wall Street Journal — for its outstanding and original
environmental efforts in the travel industry. For more information
about Enterprise’s environmental stewardship and long-term commitment
to the sustainability of its business, visit
www.DrivingFutures.com
and follow @LeeBroughton on Twitter. This news release and other
Enterprise Rent-A-Car announcements are available at the Enterprise
Holdings press room.
For more information, contact:
Lisa Martini
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
314-512-2352
Email Contact
SOURCE: Enterprise Rent-A-Car
http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=F418FD135CB3F87A
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