I’ve been trying to find a good deal on a rental car in preparation for our trip to Indianapolis. I told the customer service representatives at the various rental companies I called that I was contemplating renting a van (we don’t really need one, although the extra space would be nice) but was concerned about the astronomical gas prices. That’s when the employee at Hertz offered me the use of a new, fuel-efficient hybrid car.
Apparently, car rental giants such as Hertz and Avis have recently added thousands of hybrid cars to their fleets. According to the Hertz representative, the company is adding 1,000 Toyota Prius gas-electric hybrids to its U.S. fleet this month at 50 major airport locations. Hertz is scheduled to have nearly 2,000 hybrids in its U.S. and European fleet by the end of this year and 4,300 by the middle of next year.
So what does this mean for me (and you)? According to the Hertz reservationist, if I choose the hybrid car it will cost me about $7 more per day. However, if I plan to drive the car 500 miles or more I will save between $20 and $40 a day in gas compared to a standard vehicle. Hybrid vehicles average about 55 miles per gallon of gas.
A few phone calls later I discovered that Hertz is not the only rental car company offering hybrids. Avis added 1,000 new Priuses to its fleet this month. However, currently the hybrids are only available in California, Washington, D.C., Seattle and Portland, Oregon.
In addition, Enterprise Rent-A-Car (the company I typically find offers the most affordable rates) also offers hybrids throughout the United States. In fact, according to the Enterprise’s website, the company boasts an “unparalleled fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles,” which includes 3,000 gas-electric hybrids. Enterprise also claims to have more fuel-efficient cars than any other rental company. It says 28% of its 199,000 vehicles worldwide average at least 32 miles per gallon of gas.
Hybrid rental cars, “green” hotels, eco-friendly tours… it seems the entire travel industry is looking for waves to save the planet. Or, at least try to attract customers who are environmentally sensitive.
In the end going “green” boils down to forking over more green. Would you pay more to rent a hybrid vehicle?
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