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.

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Enterprise Rent A Car Offers Hybrid Rentals in Hawaii

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

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)

Reserve a Hybrid Rental Car at Denver International Airport

Denver International Airport (DEN) is the largest international airport in the United States with a land size of 53 square miles (140 km²). DEN is also an extremely busy airport with over 51 million travelers moving through its terminals in 2008. On the ground transportation front, the Denver International Airport makes it easy and attractive for you to rent a hybrid car in Denver by providing easy access to the top car rental companies in the business. 

Hybrid car rental is becoming increasingly popular among the United States airports, and this definitely holds true at Denver international. Home to eleven different car rental companies, Denver International Airport does its best to keep renting hybrid as simple as possible. While not all of the companies that work with the Airport offer hybrid rentals, Enterprise, Alamo, Hertz, and National rental companies do offer the green alternative. According to the Denver Business Journal in an article published on December 3, 2008, Enterprise “is putting about 100 hybrid vehicles at its Denver International Airport branch, which will be designated as the company’s second “hybrid branch.” For customers who want to reserve hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius, Toyota Camry hybrid and the Ford Escape, they can do so either online or by phone.

As always reserve your hybrid rental car for Denver International Airport at least two weeks in advanced or even earlier to increase your chance of getting one. With fleets of hybrid rental cars being limited in size in may cases, it is an extremely good idea to try and secure your reservation as early you can.

At a price not much more than a regular car rental, going green can be a responsible thing to do. You can find hybrid rentals near the Denver International Airport for as low as seventy dollars a day at some places and it can vary from there to three hundred depending of course on the make and model of the hybrid rental you’re interested in, the date, and the time that you are renting the car.

Even if you can’t get a hybrid during your travel due to unavailability, you can still be green by paying a small fee ($1.25)  to help offset your carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint. Enterprise and sister companies National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car offer the carbon offset program, which is managed by Terrapass. TerraPass carbon offset program allows consumers to easily and affordably eliminate the environmental impact of driving their cars by purchasing carbon emission offsets. Head more about Terrapass carbon emission offset program.

Here’s another reason to rent hybrid cars while traveling. It’s an excellent way to test drive new hybrid cars! Not only will they shrink your carbon footprint while also reducing fuel costs that go along with going green, test driving a hybrid rental car rather than a hybrid off of a dealership lot actually eliminates the pestering car salesman from the experience. How about that?

So here’s what you do when arriving at at Denver International Airport. Whichever gate you’re coming in from, find your way to Jeppesen Terminal Level 5, where you’ll find bus pickups to car rental lots on Island 4. All graphics courtesy Denver International Airport.

Post from: Airport Hybrid Rentals

Hybrid Rental Cars at Denver International Airport

More car rental companies are making hybrid cars and other fuel efficient vehicles available for rent. Here’s a rundown on the top companies renting hybrid cars in the U.S.

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car: Based in St. Louis, Missouri, Enterprise has about 7000 hybrid cars in 24 markets across the nation. This includes 10 of the busiest airports. Since 2008, they have increased the size of their hybrid rental car fleet from 4000. According to Enterprise spokeswoman Lisa Martini in an AP interview published on Feb 4, 2009, “consumers and corporate customers have continued to express interest in hybrid cars.” She said demands are particularly high in urban areas and at airports where large numbers of business travelers are most active, so the company has concentrated new hybrid cars in those markets, including Toyota Prius hybrids and Toyota Camry hybrids. Read more about Enterprise renting hybrid cars.
• National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car, also owned by Enterprise, also offer hybrid cars for rent.
  
• Hertz Car Rental: This is another company that has significantly increased its fleet of hybrids. In 2007, they had 1200 of them, and have increased to 4000. Hertz hybrid rental cars can be found in the top 50 airports throughout the US, and even some in global cities overseas such as London. Read more about Hertz renting hybrid cars.
• Avis Rent A Car: Although they don’t have quite the fleet that Enterprise and Hertz do, at 2500 hybrid cars, Avis has a modest foothold in the industry of hybrid rental cars. The main brand available at the moment is Toyota’s Prius, and only in some cities. California and Florida have adopted the hybrid models state-wide, but other cities such as Seattle, Portland, and Dallas have only recently picked up on hybrids. Read more about Avis Prius rental cars.
• Budget Rent A Car: This car rental company is based in New Jersey, where the green movement has shown itself to be in full swing. There are over 2000 hybrid cars in Budget’s fleet, and they often have bargains for weekend rates. Read more about Budget Smartway Certified Green Machines program.
• Dollar Rent A Car: Working from San Francisco, Dollar is new to the hybrid scene. Currently, they have 215 Toyota Priuses in their fleet, but they are working on getting more. The cost of going green is relatively high, and expect to pay a little more for hybrid rentals.
• Fox Rent A Car: Fox Rent a Car was the first company to offer hybrid cars. They can be found at many locations around the world, such as airports in Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, Austin, Salt Lake City and Orlando. Ford and Honda are the main models of hybrid cars owned by Fox. Follow the link below to reserve a Fox hybrid rental car.
• Advantage: Advantage has voiced its intent to go 100% green. They offer Toyota Priuses, as well as many other vehicles that get at least 25 miles to the gallon in city travel. As of now, Advantage is the only rental car company that intends to go fully green, according to its website. They have 50 locations in the United States and 130 affiliates overseas.
• Toyota Car Rentals: Toyota, the maker of the Toyota Prius which is the world’s most well-known hybrid, has begun to go green, rental that is. This is actually a service offered by Toyota dealers. Over 80% of Toyota dealers in the nation participate. Read more about Toyota Rent A Car program.
• Thrifty Car Rental: Thrifty Car (owned by Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, which also owns Dollar Rent A Car) offers hybrid cars in airports around the United States. They are located in over 30 countries, and in almost every state in America. However, their rates are expensive. For one day, a Prius rents out for $124.
• Midway Car Rental: Established in 1970, Midway Car Rental is the largest privately owned vehicle rental company in Los Angeles. With over 1,500 vehicles in its fleet and offices in areas around Los Angeles and Hollywood, Midway has hybrid cars and other fuel efficient vehicles for rent. Read more about Midway hybrid rental cars.

No matter what type of hybrid car you want to rent, one of these companies is sure to have a hybrid car that can help you do your part to help the environment and save on fuel costs. Enterprise, Hertz and Avis are the main contenders, because they have locations all over the world and have been among the first to adopt hybrids. There are also signs that other independent and/or privately owned car rental companies are making hybrid cars for rent as well. As in any car renting situation, do your shopping around to get the best rates available.

If you know of a hybrid car rental company that we missed, please add them to the comments below and we’ll include them in updates to this article.

Post from: Airport Hybrid Rentals

Renting a Hybrid Car? Top US Rental Car Companies Going Green with Hybrid Cars

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AirportHybridRentals.com is a blog to share information and deals about renting hybrid cars at airports in the United States and around the world.

Hybrid cars are become a key transportation tool to help fight automobile emissions problems, reduce dependency on fossil fuels to power our cars, and usher in a new era of clean transportation for travelers. While consumers are making a serious switch to cleaner cars and cleaner driving, car rental companies at airports in the U.S. and around the world are making their own effort to equip theirfleets with hybrid rental cars and other fuel efficient vehicles.

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