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.

Post from: Airport Hybrid Rentals

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Doubles Number of Hybrids in Fleet

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.

Post from: Airport Hybrid Rentals

Renting Hybrid Cars at John F. Kennedy International Airport

Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW) is one of the busiest airports in Texas, and is the third busiest airport in the world for aircraft movements. As in the case of many major airports, being able to rent a hybrid rental car at DFW is largely a function of which rental car company you contact. As always it’s advisable to make advance reservation either online or via the telephone.

The DFW Rental Car Center is located just outside the south entrance of the airport, off of International Parkway. The Rental Car Center is served by 10 car rental companies, which operate courtesy shuttle buses to and from the terminals every 5 minutes.

Hybrid rental cars are available with at least four of the car rental companies that operate at DFW Airport and, based on availability, can be picked up directly after arrival. It’s always a good idea to contact Enterprise, Alamo, Hertz, or National rental company and see what they have available. With hybrid car rentals it’s almost a requirement that you contact these companies before your trip. Enterprise makes it very easy for you to reserve a hybrid car online, while the other companies’ websites are a little harder to navigate. To reserve Enterprise hybrid cars at DFW, go directly to Enterprise’s hybrid car rental in Dallas webpage.

On average hybrid rentals around DFW airport cost you from about seventy dollars a day to two hundred dollars a day. Obviously that price can be affected by the time and date you need the car, the model of hybrid rental you are looking for, and how far in advanced you make the reservation. At time of publication of this article, a quick check on Enterprise’s webpage shows the Toyota Prius at a daily rate of $89.99 and $124.68 total including taxes and fees. Both the Camry hybrid and Ford Escape Hybrid require you to call in for availability.

With Enterprise’s huge hybrid rental car fleet, you should be able to get what you want. Alternatively, hybrids are not your only choice for go green during your travel. If availability is tight, or you just don’t want to pay the premium rates for a hybrid rental car, then go for other smaller cars which are very fuel efficient themselves.

So here’s what you do after arriving at DFW. After picking up your baggage, simply follow the car rental signs to the pick-up points just outside each terminal. Hop on the courtesy shuttle buses (which runs on 5-minute intervals) which take you south past Terminal E to the Rental Car Center. Happy traveling!

Post from: Airport Hybrid Rentals

Hybrid Car Rentals at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport

Keeping up with and fending off its fiercest rivals in an industry suddenly obsessed with all things “green,” Avis now offers hybrid rental cars. During the summer of 2007, Avis caught the first wave of hybrid mania, building the core of its fleet of hybrid rental cars by introducing more than 1000 Toyota Prius hybrid models in its major markets.

The hybrid car rental math works out to consumers’ benefit, because hybrid cars like the Prius average upwads of 50 miles per gallon (mpg). Although hybrid car rentals average $10 to $15 more per day than their conventional engine counterparts, fuel savings more than offset the slightly higher rate. If a Prius renter drives just 500 miles, he or she will save up to $30 in fuel costs, even when fuel prices hover below $2.50 per gallon.

Late in 2007, Avis added 1000 Nissan Altimas Hybrid to its fleet of hybrid rental cars, but it made them available only in California where demand remains highest by a considerable margin. A standard mid-size sedan, the Nissan Altima Hybrid offers considerably more passenger room than the Toyota Prius, and it has a lot more trunk space. Because of its larger size, longer and wider wheel base, the Nissan Altima rides smoother than the Prius, and customers say it drives like the best European Touring sedans.

Meanwhile, throughout 2007, Avis continued acquiring Prius hybrids, making them more readily available in all the nation’s major markets, and growing the fleet to the point that its agents could guarantee availability of hybrid rental cars at all of Avis’s major outlets. By the middle of 2008, Enterprise Rent-A-Car operated a fleet of more than 3,000 hybrid rental cars, which complement its 41,000 flex-fuel cars and light trucks.

Like Hertz, which dominates the airport market, Avis focused its acquisitions on the Toyota Prius, arguably the best-engineered and definitely the most popular of all the hybrids on the American market. Equipping their Prius hybrid rental cars with customers’ favorite amenities-air conditioning, automatic transmission, and AM/FM stereo with CD player-Avis expects to capitalize on Prius’s popularity among younger drivers and eco-conscious families.

Not surprisingly, demand for Avis hybrid rental cars remains strongest throughout California, where gas prices consistently have stayed at least a dime above the national averages. In the San Francisco Bay Area, where economy, traffic congestion, and sky-high gas prices combine to make Avis hybrid rental cars an extremely attractive alternative even to bargain-basement sub-compacts, demand for Avis Prius models has remained steady.

In the greater New York City area, where the cost of everything is higher than anywhere else, demand for Avis hybrid rental cars also has outstripped demand for all other small economy cars.

A quick check on Avis website finds the following rates for the Toyota Prius. One weekday rental in mid May 2009 from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) will cost you $160.99. Add $55.96 of taxes and surcharges and you’re up to $216.95 per day. That’s pretty steep for one day rental. On the other hand, a week’s rental of the Prius in mid May, 2009 will cost $564.99 and with taxes and surcharges the total comes out to $717.45, or just under $102.50 per day. Regardless of which car you rent from Avis, you can use the links below to get great discounts for hybrid car rentals.

Toyota wholeheartedly embraced Avis’s addition of Prius to its hybrid rental cars, expressing confidence that rental customers would like the way the Prius feels and handles, and they especially would appreciate dramatic savings on gas consumption. Toyota executives confidently predicted Avis hybrid rental cars’ popularity would drive their sales, and preliminary market research has confirmed their predictions.

As the Avis hybrid fleet has expanded and demands remain high, it is expected that rental rates will continue to come down. Going into spring and summer 2009, the average rate for a Prius will probably continue to run at about $95 per day; insurance and local charges would drive the average to just about $100 as noted above. Market analysts say more and more business travelers and tourists willingly will pay the slightly higher rates for hybrid rental cars, because they understand how fuel economy contributes to overall savings, and because they recognize how hybrids help reduce greenhouse gases and save precious fossil fuels.

Post from: Airport Hybrid Rentals

Avis Committed to Provide Hybrid Rental Cars to Travelers

Take advantage of all deals Enterprise has to offer and use the links below to get great discounts for hybrid car rentals.

• Free Upgrade On Your Next Airport Rental With Enterprise Rent-A-Car!
• 50% Off Weekend Rentals at Enterprise.com! Most Cars. Most Weekends. Most Neighborhood Locations.

Edited 04-03-09. Early in February, 2009, Enterprise Rent-A-Car announced plans to double its fleet of hybrid rental cars, adding 5000 cars and small SUVs, and making them available to eco-conscious motorists at nearly eighty “hybrid branches” nationwide. Enterprises specifically designated “hybrid branches” specialize in new-hybrid car rentals, and they offer customers the convenience of reserving their hybrid cars either online or by phone.

Enterprise already boasts the industry’s largest fleet of fuel efficient vehicles: three-quarters of the Enterprise fleet get 28 mpg or more, and more than 25% are rated at 32mpg or more. Enterprise also sponsors a carbon offset program. For every 100,000 customers who participate in the program, 30 million pounds of greenhouse emissions are taken out of the atmosphere.

Now, Enterprise takes it eco-conscious initiatives to the next level, setting the industry standard for hybrid car rentals. Enterprise will expand its hybrid car rentals in all three of its classes -”standard” hybrids, comparable with larger sub-compacts, “full size” hybrids, which comfortably will seat five passengers and carry all their gear, and “hybrid SUVs,” comparable with cross-over vehicles.

“Standard” Hybrids

Toyota Prius Hybrid, one of the most popular and best engineered hybrids on the American market, leads the “standard” class. Enterprise rents four-door models, which have room for five passengers; and all of their Prius hybrids come equipped with automatic transmission, air-conditioning, and AM/FM stereo with CD player. Daily rental rates start at $89.99 in many markets. Insurance and local charges will boost the actual cost to a little over $100. Enterprise also plans to add Nissan Altima to its standard hybrid fleet.

“Full Size” Hybrids

Toyota Camry Hybrid, the second generation of Toyota’s advanced hybrid technology, and a Kelly Blue Book Customer Favorite, leads Enterprise’s fleet of “full size” hybrids. Exceptionally comfortable and fun to drive, Enterprise’s four-door Camry hybrids all have automatic transmissions, air conditioning, and AM/FM stereos with CD players. Daily rates for Camrys start at $94.99 per day, and the Camry hybrid probably represents the best value for traveling families.

Hybrid SUVs

The Ford Escape Hybrid, arguably the finest American-made hybrid, anchors Enterprise’s fleet of SUVs. Roomy as most full-sized SUVs, the Ford Escape handles and parks far easier than a full-size, and the Escape hybrid has 40% better fuel efficiency than Ford Escapes with conventional engines. Enterprise’s Ford Escape hybrids come fully equipped with automatic transmission, tilt steering wheel and cruise control, split rear seat which folds three different ways, air conditioning and AM/FM stereo with CD player. At just $99.99 per day, the Escape hybrid is the perfect choice for vacationing families with lots of gear and serious tourists who expect to rack-up lots of miles exploring their vacation destinations.

A quick check on Enterprise’s website results in the following sampling of rates for mid-May 2009 hybrid rental availability for Tempa Airport, Tempa FL. The Camry Hybrid and Ford Escape Hybrid still look like difficult vehicles to get, given a smaller fleet than the Prius.

Daily rates, Tempa Airport, mid-May, 2009

Weekly rates, Tempa Airport, mid-May, 2009

Leading the Hybrid Rentals Bandwagon

Enterprise Hybrid Car Rentals will be available in twenty-four major US markets, including the country’s busiest airports. The most “hybrid branches” will open in California and New York, where demand for hybrid car rentals has soared in the last several years. Enterprise plans to open hybrid branches in Oregon, Texas, and Washington in future expansion. 

Enterprise executives frequently have stressed the company’s commitment to new engine technologies and development of alternative fuels for use in their rental fleet. Doubling its available hybrid car rentals, Enterprise clearly demonstrates its commitment and gives demanding customers the vehicles they want, when they want them. Meanwhile, market analysts have noticed the impact of Enterprise’s green initiatives on its bottom line; even in a seriously depressed economy, Enterprise’s bold and aggressive move into hybrid rental cars and flex-fuel vehicles of all kinds has increased its market share. In some markets, Enterprise has gained 15%, stealing customers from airport leader Hertz and customer-friendly Avis.

When Enterprise will guarantee availability of hybrid rental cars, you know they are serious about helping to clean up the environment. To check availability go directly to Enterprise’s hybrid rental cars webpage.

Post from: Airport Hybrid Rentals

Hybrid Rental Car Availability: Enterprise Rent-A-Car Leaving the Competition Behind

Hybrid car rentals have become more popular over the last few years. For those wondering why anyone would spend extra money on renting a hybrid over a conventional car, here are a few reasons to take this route.

Renting a Hybrid Car: Better Gas Mileage For a Few Dollars More

The automobiles have spewed ton after ton of man-made pollution into the air and atmosphere ever since their creations. This pollution has received more attention now as the source causing global warming and various other earthly ills. As a way to curb and eventually reduce this pollution, many car manufactures have begun producing hybrid cars, and rental car companies have taken serious steps to provide these cleaner cars for the traveling public.

Hybrid cars emit less fuel than conventional cars because they can get more mileage out of a gallon of gasoline. They work by using both a battery and gasoline to power a car. While these cars still emit carbon dioxide, they grossly cut down on the amount dumped into the air. As a product, hybrid cars are more environmentally-friendly than any other transportation method outside of biking and using one’s own two feet. For those looking to help make the world a cleaner place, renting a hybrid during your business or pleasure trips is an obvious positive choice.

In addition, fuel costs is expected to be much lower with a hybrid than it would be with other cars. If a hybrid car can get two to three times as many miles per gallon than a conventional car, you are basically cutting your fuel cost by a half to potentially much more. And for those thinking of renting a car for a long trip, this can be a great incentive to rent. In any case, remember to weigh the benefits of the lower fuel cost against the additional dollars needed per day to rent a hybrid.

Test Driving a Hybrid Before Buying One? You Bet!

A not so obvious reason to rent a hybrid is the experience it provides. For those looking for a long-term car purchase, a hybrid car may very well be a possibility. But as these cars are relatively new, it can be scary to invest thousands of dollars into an relatively new technology. Or maybe you’re not sure if a hybrid is for you. Renting a hybrid car allows you to take a spin into a future purchase and see if a hybrid car is really for your daily use. More to the point, keeping a rental hybrid car for a long period of time, such as a week or two, can allow you to see exactly how much you would save on fuel, and to see if you even like to drive such car. With a Toyota Prius or Honda Insight delivering around 40 to 50 miles per gallon currently, it’s hard not to at least consider the possibility.

Renting before buying is a practice used on many goods. Many try out gyms on trial basis or rent video games before purchasing them. Before you spend thirty to forty thousand dollars on a car, it is important to know whether or not you like driving it. Using hybrid car rentals to try out the hybrid car features is an important advantage.

So hybrid rental cars can prove useful for many travelers. For those who want to be more eco-friendly, hybrid rental cars offer lower emissions less than the normal car. For those who want to save on fuel money, hybrid rental cars offer better fuel-efficiency. And for those looking to perhaps buy a hybrid, hybrid rental cars offer a cheap tryout without the car salesman. Now there’s a perfect reason to rent a hybrid on your next trip.

Post from: Airport Hybrid Rentals

Reasons Why Your Next Rental Car Should Be a Hybrid

Post from: Airport Hybrid Rentals

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