In a major move that will encourage wider use of electric vehicles, the Hertz Corporation has announced a Commitment to Action at the 2010 Annual Meeting of President Bill Clinton’s Global Initiative (CGI) to bring the next generation of electric vehicles (EV) to the general public through its car rental and car sharing operations. Rollout will begin this fall.
As the world’s largest general-use airport car-rental brand, Hertz believes it is uniquely positioned to introduce multiple groups of consumers – urban drivers, university students, travelers and corporations – to all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Hertz says its leadership in this initiative will catalyze other partners and cities to provide additional infrastructure for mass scaling of electric mobility, Hertz says.
Hertz and its partners are planning to roll out the EV rental program starting this autumn with full-scale deployment in both the U.S. and other countries beginning in 2011. Hertz Global EV will be the first to provide a range of all-electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and charging stations on a rental and car-sharing basis at this scale.
“Our Hertz Global EV program will galvanize support for building out the infrastructure platform necessary to make electric vehicle travel an everyday reality,” said Mark P. Frissora, Hertz's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “With our rental and car sharing expertise, industry relationships and global footprint, we are in an ideal position to lead this new frontier in transportation. This is the game-changer for electric mobility.”
Hertz is building partnerships that will help scale up electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid usage for the general public. Hertz is forming strategic partnerships with manufacturers, charging station providers, municipalities, NGO’s, corporations and other stakeholders.
“Done right, electric vehicles can help the environment and represent a leap forward in transportation” said Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund. “We look forward to working with Hertz and its partners to ensure that this leap drives measurable benefits for both consumers and the planet.”
In February, Hertz announced a joint commitment with Nissan to bring the 100 percent electric, zero-emission Nissan LEAF to its select US and European car rental and sharing locations. Additionally, Hertz will supply EVs and PHEVs from other manufacturers including GM, Toyota and Mitsubishi. In Europe, Hertz EVs have already been introduced in London and Zurich with additional cities adding EVs this fall.
During the next several months, Hertz Global EV will leverage the company’s rental and car sharing locations as bases for vehicles and charging stations, and tap into its technology – including sophisticated fleet management tools and the consumer-facing NeverLost GPS system – to help form an EV grid, Hertz reports.
Looking forward, the company says it will build on its EV grid and explore new opportunities – including potentially bringing other areas of the business, including Hertz Equipment Rental, into Hertz Global EV.
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
Visit www.hertz.com or www.connectbyhertz.com.