Hertz Rolls Out Car-Sharing Program to Compete with Zipcar
by Eliza Barclay, Nomad on 01. 2.09
Hertz, the world's largest car rental company, is entering the burgeoning car-sharing market with a new offering called Connect, as first reported in Budget Travel. Connect will first be available in New York City, London, and Paris, and will add 20 additional cities this year, challenging Zipcar's dominance in the market.
Hertz is hoping the car-sharing initiative will boost its eco cred, evident in the heavily green-toned web site. As a more concrete endeavor, this year, Hertz added 3,400 Toyota Prius hybrid cars to its rental fleet. Connect will also offer hybrid and the BMW Mini Cooper. The company also says Connect helps the environment by reducing congestion, emissions, and energy use.
Like Zipcar, Connect will require a $50 annual membership fee, which entitles members to rent cars by the hour or day. Rates start at $8.50 an hour and vary by type of vehicle. Also like Zipcar, members reserve cars online, then use an electronic card to unlock the car, where the keys always stay. Gas and insurance are included in the hourly and daily rates. : Via Budget Travel
More on Car-Sharing:
Car-Sharing Bonanza: Zipcar and Flexcar Merge
Electric Car Sharing Service Announced in Paris
Enterprise Rent-A-Car: Now With Terrapass
The Car Sharing Shootout
Municipalities Try to Tax Car-Sharing
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It's fabulous to know that companies are taking strides such as Hertz rental to "greenify" themselves and the planet.
More and more companies are taking the green road. They probably find that this makes sense not only from the environmental point of view, but also from the economic point of view.