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Hertz has announced that it has teamed up with Nissan to bring electric car rental to the US and Europe by early 2011.
Under the terms of their Memorandum of Understanding, Hertz will develop a programme for the roll-out of the electric Nissan LEAF at selected rental sites in those markets.
The Nissan LEAF is a medium-size hatchback that seats five adults and has a range of about 100 miles. It is designed specifically as an electric car and comes with a lithium-ion battery. The car will go on sale in Japan, the US and Europe in late 2010.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance will start mass-marketing electric vehicles globally in 2012. To lay the foundations for widespread expansion, the Alliance has already formed partnerships with more than 40 governments, cities and other organisations in Japan, the US and Europe to advance the deployment of EVs worldwide. This includes developing a comprehensive charging infrastructure through public and private investment; incentives and subsidies from local, regional, and national governments; and public education on the individual and societal benefits of zero-emission mobility.
In the future, Hertz and Nissan plan to expand Nissan LEAF electric vehicles into Hertz’s global car share service, “Connect by Hertz.” By applying the same model to car sharing, this would allow the Renault-Nissan Alliance to scale up availability and acceptance of electric vehicles across a wide consumer base in some of the world’s most densely populated cities. Hertz already markets its ‘Green Collection’.
Toshiyuki Shiga, Chief Operating Officer of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. commented: “Our partnership with Hertz is an important step towards our goal of promoting widespread acceptance of electric vehicles. Together with our Alliance partner Renault, we aim to be the leader in zero-emission vehicles which we believe are one of the best solutions for sustaining the growing need for transport across the globe.”
Keywords: Electric hire cars, Nissan LEAF, Hertz, Renault-Nissan Alliance, EVs
