HONOLULU, HI–(Marketwire – August 21, 2009) - Enterprise Rent-A-Car is designating four rental locations in Hawai’i as “hybrid branches” — part of an ongoing nationwide effort that includes nearly 100 rental locations in 30 major markets across the U.S. The designated “hybrid branches” have a higher concentration of hybrids available and customers will be able to reserve these hybrids online or by phone.
Enterprise made the announcement today at a press conference hosted by Gov. Linda Lingle and the Hawai’i Department of Transportation at the Hawai’i Convention Center, as part of Hawai’i's celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Statehood, commemorating the state’s rich history as well as its plans for a sustainable future.
Enterprise is home to the world’s largest fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles. The designation of the hybrid locations in Hawai’i is part of a larger effort that added nearly 5,000 hybrid vehicles to the company’s nationwide fleet earlier this year. Hybrids have a number of environmental benefits, including better fuel economy, less fuel consumption and fewer emissions than traditional vehicles.
The four hybrid branches are located at:
- Honolulu: 677 Ala Moana Blvd., #101
- Kailua: 345 Hahani St.
- Maui: 40 Hana Highway, Kahului
- Waikiki: 1778 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 202
“The ability to choose an environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient vehicle is important to many of our customers here in Hawai’i,” said Paul Kopel, vice president and general manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Hawai’i. “Increasing the number of hybrid vehicles in our fleet means customers can reserve them online from our hybrid branches, making the process that much more convenient.”
Nationwide, Enterprise operates nearly 100 hybrid locations, including at the 10 busiest airports for business travelers in the United States, as well as rental offices in the following markets: California (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno); New York (Albany, Buffalo, New York City, Rochester); Colorado (Denver, Boulder); Florida (Orlando, Tampa); Oregon (Eugene, Portland); Texas (Austin, Dallas, Houston); Virginia (Newport News, Roanoke, Richmond, Norfolk); Atlanta; Boston; Detroit; Minneapolis; Philadelphia; St. Louis; Seattle and Washington, D.C.
Use the banner below to get the best hybrid rental deals.
“As we strive to build a cleaner, more sustainable Hawai’i, we welcome opportunities to work with the business community to offer more options to our local communities. Increasing the number of hybrid vehicles in Hawai’i — along with the benefits they bring in terms of lower fuel consumption and fewer greenhouse gas emissions — are an important step toward our preferred future,” said Sen. J. Kalani English, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Transportation, International and Intergovernmental Affairs and Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment.
Customers can reserve a hybrid from any of the designated “hybrid branch” rental locations online at www.enterprise.com or by calling 1-800-RENT-A-CAR. In Hawai’i, customers can choose hybrids such as the Honda Civic and Insight, or the Toyota Prius.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s investment in more hybrid vehicles is an important, positive step toward a more sustainable future for our community. This is a great example of how much there is to gain from working with the private sector to increase sustainable transportation options throughout the state,” said House Speaker Calvin Say.
Maui County Mayor Charmaine Tavares said, “Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s hybrid branches provide another practical way for residents and visitors alike to be ‘greener’ in their daily lives. I’m thrilled with Enterprise’s ongoing investment in sustainable transportation and ‘green’ living options to create a more sustainable Maui.”
Enterprise, which has served customers in Hawai’i since 1994, has grown to 20 home-city branches throughout the state, and five airport locations in Hilo, Kona, Honolulu, Maui and Lihue, Kauai. The local branches employ 180 local full-time employees; 102 of those attended local colleges and universities.
The designation of hybrid branches nationwide continues Enterprise’s environmental commitment to growing the market for alternative fuels and technologies. Enterprise Holdings, which owns the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental brands, has the industry’s most comprehensive environmental sustainability platform that includes:
- Embracing new, clean technologies – In addition to the focus on hybrids, Enterprise Rent-A-Car has designated eight “E85/FlexFuel” branches where as much as 30 percent of the local fleets are FlexFuel vehicles capable of using E85 (a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline). In addition, Enterprise fuels those vehicles from nearby E85 fueling stations.
- The world’s largest fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles – Nearly 450,000 cars in the combined Alamo, Enterprise and National fleet average a highway fuel efficiency rating of at least 28 mpg or better; nearly 230,000 average 32 mpg or better; and nearly 425,000 have earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay certification mark — a distinction the EPA grants to vehicles that emit relatively low levels of both regulated pollutants and greenhouse gases such as CO2.
- Customer Carbon Offsets – Alamo, Enterprise and National customers can offset the CO2 emissions of their rental cars by opting to pay $1.25 per rental to fund certified offset projects through TerraPass. The company’s charitable foundation will match customer contributions dollar-for-dollar, up to $1 million. In the first year, the carbon offset program generated $440,000 and offset 42,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
- Research – In 2007, the company’s owners, the Taylor family of St. Louis, donated $25 million to create the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels, where top scientists are working on alternatives to finite fossil fuels by finding new ways to create fuel from renewable, reliable plant sources.
- Conservation – The company’s charitable foundation has pledged $50 million to plant 50 million trees over 50 years through the 50 Million Tree Pledge, a public/private/nonprofit partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service. Trees are being planted on public lands in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
All told, over the past several years Enterprise Holdings and the Taylor family have contributed or pledged more than $120 million to environmental initiatives. For more information about the full environmental platform, visit www.keystogreen.com.
About Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Founded in 1957 and headquartered in St. Louis, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is an internationally recognized brand operating neighborhood and airport rental locations in the United States, Canada, the U.K., Ireland, and Germany. In addition, Enterprise of North America is part of a global strategic alliance with Europcar, creating the world’s largest car rental network.
Enterprise, which has more than 5,000 neighborhood branch offices located within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population, picks up local customers at no extra cost. Known for its exceptionally low rates and outstanding customer service, Enterprise was named to BusinessWeek’s annual list of “Customer Service Champs” in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Enterprise also has ranked highest in customer satisfaction among airport rentals in nine of the past 10 years, according to J.D. Power and Associates Rental Car Satisfaction Study. For more information about Enterprise, visit www.enterprise.com.
Hybrid cars continue to rise in popularity across the nation. Because of their reputation as fuel-efficient, easy to drive vehicles, hybrid car rental availability has also gone up every year. But are these cars really a better option than conventional cars? The truth is that when all the benefits of a hybrid are weighed against those of a conventional car, the answer is “not necessarily.” Here are a few reasons to not rent a hybrid car.
Increased Fuel Economy?
One of the biggest reasons travelers cite to renting a hybrid car is to save on fuel costs. Because hybrids get more out of each gallon of gas than conventional cars do, one may be led to believe that the slightly greater daily cost will be outweighed by the savings in gasoline. But this is, in fact, not true in many cases. Because most people tend to drive less than a hundred miles per day with a rental car, the savings from using a hybrid are minimal. Really, the only time hybrid cars provide significant savings is if you drive the car in extended stop-and-go urban environment, or on long trips.
Hybrid Rental Rates Remain High
Hybrid cars do cost more per day in rental fees. Because they are more expensive to purchase in the first place, car rental companies have to charge more for those who want to rent them. Even with competition driving down dealer prices for new hybrid cars, hybrid rental rates remain high in the premium range. So without the savings in fuel making up for the difference, renting a hybrid car could mean paying extra money to drive on your next trip.
Learning to Drive a Hybrid in an Unfamiliar City
Additionally, hybrid cars drive very differently than normal cars. For drivers who are already experienced in driving a hybrid, this is not a problem. But to first-timers, hybrid rental cars will seem to have lighter weight, have different controls, and have their own quirks. One such “quirk” is a idle-top feature that are built into many modern hybrids. Idle-stop allows the car engine to shut down at a stoplight or stop sign (whenever the car is at a stop,) thereby cutting down on fuel consumption. This is well and good, but a small problem with this is that hybrid car renters often find themselves in a new location they have never been to before. And while trying out a new car in a familiar area may work out fine, driving a new hybrid in a new city can be challenging for many people. The last thing you want when trying to fumble over maps is to have a car shut off unexpectedly or to brake differently.
In fact, this instability could lead to unsafe situations. The easiest way to get into an accident is to combine a lack of direction with confusion from driving a new car. And once you put yourself in harm’s way on the road, you are not only risking your own well-being, but also the well-being of others. Stick to what you are comfortable with and stay safe. It’s more important than saving a few bucks on gas, if any.
Non-Hybrid, High MPG Alternatives Are Available
All carmakers now manufacture smaller, highly efficient, non-hybrid car models as well, and car rental companies are making them available for rent, without the premium rental rates. Modern smaller cars, including the economy and compact sizes, are safe, efficient and very reliable. They also come with all the expected amenities such air conditioning, automatic transmission, stereo radio with CD player, many with ABS and airbags. Additionally, companies like Enterprise and Hertz have Carbon Offset programs so that, no matter what a traveler selects to rent, he/she can still participate in helping the environment.
In summary, hybrid cars are the creation of a movement to stop global warming and improve the environment as a whole. As an idea, they are terrific and are the first of hopefully many steps in creating cars that are not dependent on fossil fuels. But as a rental option, they can be cumbersome and a bad choice for many people at least until hybrids are becoming more mainstream. Higher costs, a steep learning curve, and use in unfamiliar territories can lead to unwanted situations. So if you think you’re not ready to rent a hybrid rental car, you’re probably not.
Corporations big and small send employees all over the world to conduct business everyday. There is a single common business tool that all these employees use while on their business trips. No I’m not talking about their mobile phones or laptops or any of the other portable electronic gadgets. I’m talking about their rental cars.
Most business men and women rent cars at their destinations and drive very short distances and pretty much in stop-and-go traffic. Guess what? Those are perfect driving conditions to take advantage of hybrid cars. That’s the pro. The con about hybrid rental cars, at least for now, is that they cost more to rent per day than their conventional counterparts. So from the traveler’s, or in this case the company’s point of view, it makes no sense to spend more on transportation than necessary regardless of your corporate “go green” rhetoric.
If corporations can put in place a corporate hybrid car rental policy, the impact would be enormous. Here are the 3 points discussed by CleanCarTalk in a recent post about “The Greening of the Corporations – Saving Money or Saving the Environment.”
New corporate hybrid car rental policies can do the following:
- Directly support their corporate policies in “going green.” Many companies are already going green, from simple things like using less papers, encouraging employee carpooling, implementing recycling programs and teaching employees ways to save electricity, to complex things like converting operations to run on solar power, or putting into action various processes and equipment to operate more efficiently, utilize renewable power, and invest in carbon offset projects. A new corporate hybrid car rental policy just fits right in.
- Directly communicate to car rental companies (and car manufacturers) that there is a demand for hybrid, electric and fuel efficient cars. Fleets buy their cars in large numbers at a time, which is a perfect way to say to car makers that, yes, make more of these and we’ll buy them. Maybe the stimulus package should also set aside a good chunk for this sort of program. Compare to individual tax breaks that the stimulus plan provides, I think this program will make much bigger impact much sooner.
- Directly educate consumers (employees are consumers too) that hybrid, electric and fuel efficient cars is the way to go. The consumers’ dollars drive the economy, and for a car industry trying to pick itself up while promoting a new technology at the same time, this is “killing two birds with one stone.” Consumers will have a chance to “test drive” these new cars on an extended period of time as they go about their business or personal trips, which surely beats going into a dealer for a 5-minute test drive. I don’t know about you, but to me, an educated consumer is a good buyer.
There are so many benefits resulting from this single corporate policy act. I wonder why not many companies are doing it. Or better yet, as suggested, maybe a part of the stimulus package should go to promote programs like this.
What’s your company doing to go green and stay green? Share your viewpoints with us by leaving a comment below.
Hybrid rental cars have grown in popularity especially in recent years. Once hard to find at airports and rental companies, hybrid cars are now readily available in most major cities. Public awareness and hybrid rental car availability are both improving. But even with better availability, travelers still are unsure about what to make of these fuel-efficient automobiles. Many wonder what the advantages and disadvantages to renting a hybrid are compared to a conventional car. Others feel intimidated and overwhelmed by the new technology and possibly new way of driving. Here are some pros and cons of renting hybrid cars on your next trip.
Fuel Efficiency Issue
The most obvious difference between hybrid and conventional cars is fuel efficiency. Hybrid cars were created to get more mileage out of every gallon of gasoline and, as such, emit much less carbon dioxide into the air. This means that less pollution is produced by these cars than the conventional cars that use strictly just fossil fuel for propulsion. For the environmentally-conscious, it is clear that hybrids are the better choice.
Rental Cost Issue
But for most people, the main deciding factor in renting a car is cost in the form of rental fees and fuel cost. Renting a car while on travel can add a huge dollar amount to the total trip expense. Hybrid cars normally command premium rental rates over conventional cars, especially for the daily rates which can exceed $150 per day including surcharges and fees. Weekend and all-week rental rates seem a little better, dropping to around $70 to $80 per day average. Of course, your rental rates can be slightly offset by the lower fuel costs expected when operating a hybrid, and possible discounts offered in certain travel destinations, such as California, for choosing a hybrid. For the most part, however, conventional cars will cost less for all but those who plan on logging heavy miles during their rental period.
Drivability Issue
An important consideration for many drivers is how safe the cars are and how simple they are to operate. This issue has less to do with the hybrid rental car than with the driver himself or herself. Driving an unfamiliar car can be an undaunted experience for many drivers in a strange locale, especially if the interior controls of the car and the way the car behaves (as in the case of a hybrid) is different than a person is used to. Between finding their ways around a foreign city and dealing with a new way to drive a hybrid, travelers are strongly advised to be fully prepared before they start driving. Here are some differences.
A hybrid car employs a conventional engine to charge up its battery packs, which in turn powers an electric motor to propel the car forward. In addition, many hybrid car models such as the Toyota Prius have an idle-off feature, which automatically shuts off the engine when a car is braked at a red light. This may be a shock to someone not expecting it, but is really a feature to help save additional energy. Once the car is put back into drive, the engine will restart. Another way to save energy is to recoup energy during slow-down and braking, called regen or regenerative braking. So while the car is in motion, as soon as the driver lifts his/her foot from the accelerator pedal, the hybrid car’s regen system kicks in to help slow the vehicle down as it charges up its battery packs.
So if you’ve never driven a hybrid car before, and are looking to rent a hybrid on your next trip, be sure to get help and guidance from the rental attendant at check out. He/she will be glad to walk you through the features and operation of your hybrid rental car. Have a safe and green trip!
Enterprise Rent-A-Car is offering 15% off daily rates now until June 15th. This type of offer does not come around very often so this is a great deal to catch. With this special offer, it makes great sense to check out a rental hybrid car!
Also don’t miss the ongoing 50% off weekend deal.
About Enterprise Rent-A-Car
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car is the largest car rental company in North America with over 6,900 locations worldwide.
- Enterprise has over 700,000 vehicles in its fleet and their locations are positioned less than 15 miles from 90% of the U.S. population.
- Enterprise website allows visitors to reserve a car in US, Canada, Ireland, Germany and the U.K. This includes over 200 airport locations as well as the branch in your hometown.
From Enterprise April 28, 2009 Press Release.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Doubles Number of Hybrids in Fleet; Establishes ‘Hybrid Branches’ at Four Virginia Airports
Customers Can Reserve Hybrids at Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond and Roanoke Airports Online or by Phone; High Demand for Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Sparks Increased Availability, Convenience
RICHMOND, VA–(Marketwire – April 28, 2009) – Enterprise Rent-A-Car is designating four airport rental locations in Virginia as “hybrid branches” — part of a broader move that adds nearly 5,000 additional gas/electric hybrids to its nationwide fleet. The designated “hybrid branches” have a high concentration of the new hybrids available and customers will be able to reserve these hybrids online or by phone.
Enterprise already was home to the world’s largest fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles. The addition of nearly 5,000 hybrid vehicles more than doubles the number of hybrids the company owns. Hybrids can achieve greater fuel economy, use less gasoline and have fewer emissions than traditional vehicles.
Across Virginia, the hybrid branches are located at:
- Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport
- Norfolk International Airport
- Richmond International Airport
- Roanoke Regional Airport
Read more at Marketwire’s “Enterprise Rent-A-Car Doubles Number of Hybrids in Fleet; Establishes ‘Hybrid Branches’ at Four Virginia Airports.”
About Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Founded in 1957 and headquartered in St. Louis, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is an internationally recognized brand with the largest fleet of passenger vehicles in the world today, more than 700,000 cars and trucks. Enterprise also operates a network of 7,000 neighborhood and airport rental locations in the United States, Canada, the U.K., Ireland and Germany. Enterprise of North America is part of a global strategic alliance with Europcar, creating the world’s largest car rental network.
The one sure sign that shows that the time for clean cars such as hybrid cars has come is the fact that major and independent rental companies are now renting hybrid cars. This means that for your business or personal travels, you can now contribute to the protection of the environment by renting a hybrid car instead of a regular gasoline or diesel car.
The rental car industry plays its part to contribute to air pollution because of their large fleet of vehicles in operation every day. Travelers, both the business and pleasure kinds, rent cars when they go on trips. The cars are most often rented at the destination that you wish to visit. With the exception of some vacationers, most people require rental cars to get around one particular city, so the car will most likely be used for in-city driving and not long-range driving. This makes hybrid cars the perfect choice for rental car use since hybrid cars are most effective in stop-and-go traffic. If you look at the mile-per-gallon ratings of any hybrid car, the city mile per gallon (mpg) is always the higher number.
If you’ve never driven a hybrid car and are planning to rent a hybrid car for the first time, here are a few things you should know.
Availability of Hybrid Rental Cars
Your choice of a rental hybrid car may be very limited, at least for now. Car rental companies normally give you a list of available vehicles to choose from. The hybrid cars you should most likely expect from car rental companies include the well knownToyota Prius hybrid, the Toyota Camry Hybrid and the Ford Escape Hybrid. Also depending on your destination you may also find the Nissan Altima Hybrid offered by some rental companies as well.
You may also come across the Insight hybrid car from Honda, but this car is still very new so fleet sales remain to be seen. Rental companies also have several other hybrid variants you can also choose from such as the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, but this vehicle may be more likely available from independent rental companies than at national branches.
Top rental companies such as Hertz and Enterprise have much larger hybrid fleet than any others, therefore do offer a separate section on their websites. Enterprise has a whole section on green rental cars. Avis Rent A Car and Budget Rent Car allow you to select a hybrid as part of the rental reservation process. For Hertz, click here to read more information on its Green Collection.
Rental Rates
Hybrid car rental rates are definitely higher than conventional cars. Aside from the fact that you know you’re helping the environment when renting a hybrid, for some travelers, the benefits of higher mpg can offset the higher rate disadvantage. At 48 mpg in a Prius, you can go farther on a tank of gas, and won’t need to fill up as much as when you drive a conventional car. In the end, the extra cost of renting a hybrid versus the savings you get out of the reduced fill-ups can only be decided by your own personal travel needs.
Driving a Hybrid
Hybrid cars drive differently compared to normal cars. Hybrid cars are more fuel-efficient because of regenrative braking (regen), all-electric mode, and even idle-stop, among other features.
Regen in a hybrid allows the car to recharge its battery pack when coasting and braking. This feature recovers energy of the moving car during coasting and braking and puts it back into the battery pack, whereas in a conventional car, energy is not recovered during coasting and lost through brake heat during braking.
All-electric mode (EV mode) in a hybrid allows the car to drive for a short distance (about a mile or two) for under 25 mph using only the electric motor. No fuel is used when driving in EV mode. In fact the engine is not on at all in this mode. This important capability adds to the increase in mpg in a hybrid car.
Finally, idle-stop in a hybrid allows the car engine to turn off at stoplights. This helps cut down fuel consumption and engine emissions, and when combined with EV mode, can really enhance the hybrid car mileage performance especially in stop-and-go traffic. New drivers will need to get used to the engine turning off when the hybrid car comes to a stop, and have trust in the control system and the engine to restart when the light turns green and the accelerator pedal is pressed.
So if you’ve never driven a hybrid car before, you can rent one on your next trip. Whether you’re doing your part to help reduce emissions to the environment, or just wanting to try one out as a test drive to see if a hybrid car makes sense for your next car purchase, be sure to get the attendant to give you a full run down on the hybrid car you’re renting. They’re there to help make your driving a rental hybrid car a very good experience.
Thrifty has very limited hybrid rental cars available at their airport locations. Even at San Francisco International Airport, it’s tough to find a Prius to rent from Thrity.
Thrifty Car Rental, not really one of the nation’s major rental car companies, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, a publicly traded company. Thrifty Car Rental and Dollar Rent A Car were formed in 1990 by Chrysler itself. The company rents mostly Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep cars in the United States. A quick check on Thrifty website also indicates other cars can be rented including the MINI Cooper S, the Hummer H2, the Ford Focus and even Ford vans, but they’re highly dependent on airport rental locations.
If you’re lucky, and if Thrifty decides to offer hybrids for rent at other locations, here’s what you do. Thrifty classifies the Prius as “Compact 2-4 Door.” So you’ll need to specify this car type while checking rates and availability, otherwise you can waste a lot of time looking around and clicking on “See More Cars.”
But you’re super lucky if you land at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). This is probably the only place in the U.S. that you can find a rental hybrid.
Here are some typical rates of renting a hybrid Prius from Thrifty at LAX. As we normally do with our other hybrid rental rate surveys, we took a look at three different rental rates for hybrid cars:
- a one-day rental (pick up on Monday and return next day); pick up June 15 and return June 16, 2009.
- a weekend rental (pick up on Friday and return on Monday); pick up June 19 and return June 22, 2009.
- a one-week rental (pick up on Monday and return the following Monday.); pick up June 15 and return June 22, 2009.
Here are some results. Note that taxes, surcharges and fees are not included in these rates, which could add more than $30 per day to the base rate.
Thifty one-day rental rate. June 15-16-2009: $114.59 per day for Toyota Prius.
Thifty weekend rental rate, May 19-22-2009: Average $105.49 per day for Toyota Prius, which is $316.47 for the weekend.
Thifty one-week rental rate. May 15-22-2009: Average $80.36 per day for Toyota Prius, which is $562.52 for the week.
Have you rented a hybrid from Thrifty? Share your experience with us.
One of two brands owned by Enterprise Rent A Car, Alamo Rent A Car shares the company’s commitment to fuel economy, alternative fuels, and alternative technologies. Enterprise Rent A Car, which also owns National Rent A Car, stresses its commitment to fairness, honesty, and transparency in all of its pricing policies and business practices. The combination of these two major corporate commitments has driven the Enterprise group, already the industry leader, miles ahead of any of its competitors.
The Toyota Prius is the only hybrid car available for rent in the United States as noted on Alamo.com’s website. A quick survey of the website yields the following information for renting a Toyota Prius hybrid from Alamo.
As we normally do with our other hybrid rental car surveys, we took a look at three different rental rates for hybrid cars:
- a one-day rental (pick up on Monday and return next day),
- a weekend rental (pick up on Friday and return on Monday), and
- a one-week rental (pick up on Monday and return the following Monday.)
The survey covers San Francisco and San Diego, CA on the West Coast. Several attempts to reserve a hybrid at airports outside of California yielded availability of non-hybrid cars only. Specific dates in May 2009 were selected to obtain the availability information and rental rates. Your own itinerary will dictate availability and rates at the time of your inquiry.
Alamo Hybrid Rental Car Rates at San Francisco Airport
- Alamo one-day rental rate, with prepay savings. May 11-12-2009: $177.95 per day for Toyota Prius. Taxes, surcharges and fees are included.
- Alamo weekend rental rate, May 15-18-2009: Average $124.40 per day for Toyota Prius. Taxes, surcharges and fees are included.
- Alamo one-week rental rate,with prepay savings, May 11-18-2009: Average $134.02 per day for Toyota Prius. Taxes, surcharges and fees are included.
Note that you could save from $10 to $15 with prepay savings so be sure to select these options when reserving.
Alamo Hybrid Rental Car Rates at San Diego Airport
- Alamo one-day rental rate, with prepay savings. May 11-12-2009: $105.47 per day for Toyota Prius. Taxes, surcharges and fees are included.
- Alamo weekend rental rate, May 15-18-2009: Average $57.45 per day for Toyota Prius. Taxes, surcharges and fees are included.
- Alamo one-week rental rate,with prepay savings, May 11-18-2009: Average $81.96 per day for Toyota Prius. Taxes, surcharges and fees are included.
Again you could save from $10 to $15 with prepay savings so be sure to select these options when reserving.
So it looks like you can rent hybrid cars from Alamo only in California (Alamo’s Los Angeles, Sacramento and Oakland airport locations have hybrid cars), and rental rates vary widely depending on your destination. At least in San Francisco International Airport, Hertz and Avis seem to have better rates for renting hybrid cars.
For travelers coming in to John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport, car rental options are offered by Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, and National car rental companies. If you want hybrid rental cars, the larger companies will have a better chance of getting you one when you get there.
The rental car offices are located along the Van Wyck Expressway near the entrance of the airport. Once arrived at JFK airport, head out to take the frequent courtesy shuttles AirTrain to the AirTrain Station C – Federal Circle. There are 3 AirTrain routes that stop at all passenger terminals and terminal parking lots.
- The All Terminals Loop (black line) tuns in continuous loop in reverse order from Terminal 8 to Terminal 1 and back to Terminal 8 – about 10 minutes for the entire loop or 2 minutes between each station.
- The Howard Beach Loop (green line) originates and ends at the Howard Beach Station. This route stops at all passenger terminals, plus the Lefferts Boulevard and Federal Circle stations going both ways. The Federal Circle Station is where rental car lots are located as mentioned above.
- The Jamaica Station Loop (blue line) originates and ends at Jamaica Station. This route also stops at the Federal Circle Station and all passenger terminals.
Click on the map for a larger pdf version. Map courtesy of the Port Authority of NY & NJ.
Once getting off at the Federal Circle Station, you can head over to the car rental company of your choice. As always, it’s recommended that you reserve your airport hybrid rental before your trip.
Here are some sample hybrid rental car rates from Enterprise Rent A Car and Hertz Rent A Car.
Enterprise Hybrid Cars Rental Rates at JFK
Three different rental rates for hybrid cars were examined for a one-day rental (pick up on Monday and return next day), a weekend rental (pick up on Friday and return on Monday), and a one-week rental (pick up on Monday and return the following Monday.) Enterprise is known to have great availability and for JFK this is no exception. Both the Prius and Camry hybrids are available during this test, while the Ford Escape Hybrid is tougher to get, requiring a call to check availability.
Enterprise one-day rental rate, May 11-12-2009: $117.71 per day for Prius, $142.49 for Camry Hybrid. All fees and taxes are included.
Enterprise weekend rental rate, May 15-18-2009: Average $117.71 per day for Prius, $142.48 for Camry Hybrid. All fees and taxes are included.
Enterprise one-week rental rate, May 11-18-2009: Average $84.08 per day for Prius, $115.05 for Camry Hybrid. All fees and taxes are included.
Follow this link to check availability of rental hybrid cars at JFK International Airport for your next trip.
Hertz Hybrid Cars Rental Rates at JFK
Similarly I did a comparison of rates for Hertz Rent A Car hybrid rentals. One main difference if that Hertz will require presentation of a credit card at time of pick up and therefore makes only the “Pay Later” option available online. There is no “Pay Now” option for Hertz hybrid cars. Hertz has both the Prius Hybrid and Nissan Altima Hybrid for rent. The graphics below only show base rates without fees and taxes, so I included the total rates in the notes.
Hertz one-day rental rate, May 11-12-2009: $147.98 per day for Prius, $171.93 for Nissan Altima Hybrid – fees and taxes included. Fees and taxes are not included in rates below.
Hertz weekend rental rate, May 15-18-2009: Average $111.46 per day for Prius ($334.39 total), $120.28 for Nissan Altima Hybrid ($360.84 total) - fees and taxes included. Fees and taxes are not included in rates below.
Hertz one-week rental rate, May 11-18-2009: Average $91.50 per day for Prius ($640.49 total), $96.90 for Nissan Altima Hybrid ($678.27) - fees and taxes included. Fees and taxes are not included in rates below.
In summary, it looks like Enterprise has very competitive rates and may have more hybrid cars available for rent, whereas Hertz may not as a result of a smaller hybrid car fleet size. If you have experience with renting hybrid cars at Hertz out of JFK, please share your stories with us in the comment below.
