Car Rental & the Environment
With the environment such a hot topic around the world and especially in the transport industry, there are companies that are embracing new environmentally friendly technology. Hybrid Cars and ever increasingly fuel efficient diesel cars are becoming more available to mainstream motorists. I used to work for a corporate travel company and many of the major corporations were requesting the inclusion of Hybrid cars in their contracts.
This was more to do with increasing business opportunities by being seen to be green as opposed to wanting to be green! The question arises when people travel and want to maintain their commitment to the green cause. Car Rental companies will be the ones providing these vehicles… or will they? I have chosen (for the Australia traveller) major car companies that you can book ‘green cars’ with. Working for DriveAway Holidays here in Australia, the most common request is for diesel cars. This is driven out of cost concerns and also the occasional environmental concern. (Shouldn’t it be the other way around??) First off the rank is Avis Rental Cars. In Australia, the group L car will give you a Toyota Hybrid. This car is the favorite for the car rental companies due to it being built by Toyota. In the UK, there doesn’t appear to be any green cars, although there may be diesel cars on fleet, Avis don’t make them easy to find. In the USA, like Australia, the Toyota Hybrid under group XG is available. (more…)