The Hertz Corporation, the world’s largest general use car rental brand, has entered a joint commitment with Nissan to bring zero-emission mobility to car rental in the US and Europe by early 2011.
Under the terms of their Memorandum of Understanding, Hertz will develop a program for the roll-out of Nissan LEAF at select rental sites in those two major markets.
As the world’s first affordable, zero-emission car, Nissan LEAF ushers in a new era of eco-mobility that is in line with rising consumer demand across Europe. Designed specifically for a lithium-ion battery-powered chassis, the medium-size hatchback comfortably seats five adults and has a range of about 100 miles (160km) as tested by the LA4 Test Cycle, to satisfy real-world consumer requirements.
The car will go on sale in Japan, the US and Europe in late 2010.
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 innovative 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.