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

1. 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.
2. Alamo weekend rental rate, May 15-18-2009: Average $124.40 per day for Toyota Prius. Taxes, surcharges and fees are included.
3. 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

1. 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.
2. Alamo weekend rental rate, May 15-18-2009: Average $57.45 per day for Toyota Prius. Taxes, surcharges and fees are included.
3. 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.

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Alamo Rent A Car: Hybrid Rental Cars in California Airport Destinations

Although Enterprise still leads in fleet size, Hertz Rent A Car has rapidly closed the gap, increasing its total count of hybrid rental cars to nearly 5000, up from just 1200 at the middle of 2007. Hertz now has hybrid rental cars available at 50 of the major airports in the United States and at most of its major international destinations. The airport leader also guarantees reservations on 3400 of its hybrid rental cars in markets with greatest demand.

Since the tourist industry generally, and the rental car industry particularly, went eco-crazy beginning about 2007, the largest rental car companies have raced to catch up with Enterprise, the leader in hybrid rental cars and fuel friendly vehicles. Recognizing and responding to customers’ overwhelming demand for vehicles which run on alternative fuels and alternative technologies, most all of the industry main players rapidly have beefed up their fleets of hybrid rental cars. Even so, in major markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Chicago, they still barely meet the demand. Most could not guarantee reservations of hybrid car rentals until their fleets swelled over 5000 vehicles.

Like all the industry leaders, Hertz has acquired thousands of Toyota Prius hybrid and Nissan Altima hybrid rental cars, which the company advertises in its “Green Collection.” The Hertz Green Collection also features Ford Fusion, Toyota Corolla and Camry. Cars belong to the Green Collection by virtue of their EPA estimated combined mileage of 28mpg or more. Hertz promotes the entire Green Collection as “fuel efficient, environmentally-friendly cars that are both easy on the wallet and suitable for families and small groups traveling together.”  Hertz, ironically, gained a slight advantage from being half-a-step behind its competitors. Because they analyzed the other companies’ demographic data about hybrid rental cars, they can develop their ad campaigns precisely according to the needs and wants of the hybrid car rental market.

Hertz also benefitted from hybrid pioneers’ experience as it chose the hybrid models it wanted to include in its Green Collection. With only two models on the menu, Hertz has the industry’s least diversified list, though these are by far the two most reliable models available on the American market. Toyota Prius has proven amazingly dependable under even the most demanding road and traffic conditions; and Nissan Altima has surprised many Nissan skeptics, holding up to hundreds of thousands of rough miles in difficult urban areas.

Hertz executives, like their colleagues at all the other major hybrid car rental companies, cite customer’s lack of familiarity with hybrids as their biggest source of concern. Many customers choose a hybrid car rental so that they can test-drive one of the better models while they travel on business, and make a decision about later purchase on the basis of their experience with the rental.

The drawback is renters don’t always understand the Toyota Prius, technically a “full hybrid,” which can run on electricity only. When the car runs on just electricity, the Prius is so quiet that drivers often do not realize the engine is on or off. First-time hybrid drivers also have new things to learn about the regenerative braking system, which recoups energy back into the battery pack when the car slows down. Combining all this with the possibility of driving in a city for the first time, one can see potential problems with frustration and even safety.

Now, as they deliver the keys to hybrid rental cars customers, most Hertz customer service agents take a few minutes to explain how the Prius hybrid system behaves. For driving at low speeds, the battery pack powers the Prius directly through the electric motor. During acceleration and higher speeds, the engine plays a key role in powering the drive motor through a generator, while recharging the battery pack as needed. And during braking, the electric motor becomes a generator, slowing the vehicle momentum by converting vehicle speed back into electric energy to store in the battery pack. These few minutes devoted to hybrid 101 have huge impact on customers’ experience with Hertz’s hybrid rental cars.

Hertz has yet to announce plans for adding other models or other manufacturers to its hybrid rental car offerings, but it has outlined plans to continue building its stock of hybrids to nearly 10,000 by the middle of 2010.

Here’s a quick check on Hertz’s website for rates of renting hybrid cars for a week in mid May, 2009, picking up and returning to San Francisco International Airport (SFO). For the Toyota Prius Hybrid, this works out to be $109.48 per day, and the Nissan Altima Hybrid, $104.24 per day.

Hertz has very few off-airport locations. The company’s business has always depended on dominating the airport market, especially appealing to time-crunched business travelers at mid-week. Hertz customers pay for the luxury of convenience. Other leading companies advertise Prius and Altima hybrids at between $90 and $100 per day. So Hertz’s rates to rent hybrid cars are very competitive. Visit Hertz.com to check out their hybrid rental car availability.

Have experience renting hybrid cars from Hertz? Share your suggestions with us with your comments below.

Post from: Airport Hybrid Rentals

Hertz Rent a Car: a Big and Competitive Player in Hybrid Car Rentals

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

O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is a Chicago airline system offering connections to many cities worldwide. It is the largest hub of United Airlines and second largest hub of American Airlines. Over the years the O’Hare International Airport has become one of the three busiest airports in the United States. If you’re traveling to Chicago, you have a number of choices for renting hybrid cars for business or pleasure trips.

ACE Rent-A-Car recently upped their fleet of hybrid rentals but still have problems keeping up with demands. While the company is trying to make hybrid car rental in Chicago effortless and therefore allowing you, the traveler, to be more earth friendly, here’s a notice on ACE Rent-A-Car’s website at the time of this article regarding the Toyota Prius Hybrid:

We are sorry, due to exceptional demand, we cannot confirm any additional car rental reservations for the Toyota Prius hybrid. If you are interested in the best gas mileage in you car rental please consider these ACE rental cars with good fuel economy:

Chevy Cobalt – 31 Highway MPG
Ford Focus – 34 Highway MPG
Toyota Camry – 31 Highway MPG
Toyota Corolla – 38 Highway MPG

So it looks like rental car companies are running up against the limit of their relatively small fleets of hybrid rental cars. And this should continue as consumer interests still appear to be strong.

Other car rental companies also vie for your business. On the lower level of the airport near baggage claim you can find courtesy phones to Alamo, Hertz, National, Avis, Budget, Dollar, and Enterprise rental companies which can all help with various types of cars. Alamo, National, and Enterprise together offer a large variety of hybrid rentals. Because these three companies are all owned by the same parent company Enterprise, they may be able to help each other in finding you what you need. Most often the availability is more exclusive when you call and reserve your hybrid rental car in advanced. Reserving in advance your hybrid is the best way to insure you actually have a car available that you want upon your arrival. Hybrid rentals are especially hard to get at the last minute, so good luck if you’re counting on choosing one off the lot. For Enterprise, follow this link directly to their webpage to rent a hybrid car in Chicago.

Here’s what you you’ll do once landed at O’Hare. Go to the lower levels of the Terminals 1, 2 and 3, near the baggage claim areas. There you’ll find signs and courtesy phones to all car rental agencies. If you’re in Terminal 5, then you can find rental car courtesy phones on the lower level there. Like in many major airports, it’s most convenient to just hop on one of the courtesy buses that will take you to specific rental car lots.

Below is the map of O’Hare International Airport, courtesy of flychicago.com. Click on the image to view a high resolution version in PDF. Additional maps and resources can be found at flychicago.com.

Post from: Airport Hybrid Rentals

Hybrid Car Rentals at O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

Edited 04-03-09. Every year, millions of Americans travel across the nation. Be it for business, for a family vacation, or any other reason, car rental companies are there to help these trips more enjoyable and convenient. With the availability of hybrid rental cars being offered by more car rental companies, travelers can also maintain their environmentally clean life style as well. Oftentimes, car rental companies and the airport authority themselves join forces in collaboration to promote clean transportation in and around busy airports in the form of discounts or reduced fees for those who rent hybrid cars.

For frequent flyers and not so frequent flyers, here is a list of the ten airports in the United States with commitment green hybrid car rental movement.

As one might be able to tell by the list, the Western states, along with the biggest cities in the nation, have taken charge in becoming more environmentally-responsible. But even the smallest of airports are working towards making more hybrid rental cars available to travelers each year.

Post from: Airport Hybrid Rentals

Top 10 U.S. Airports Where You Can Rent Hybrid Cars

Post from: Airport Hybrid Rentals

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