{"id":14202,"date":"2011-05-19T07:00:43","date_gmt":"2011-05-19T12:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=14202"},"modified":"2016-12-15T10:49:32","modified_gmt":"2016-12-15T16:49:32","slug":"green-carsgreen-machines-finding-eco-friendly-rental-cars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2011\/05\/green-carsgreen-machines-finding-eco-friendly-rental-cars\/","title":{"rendered":"Green machines: Finding eco-friendly rental cars"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Avis features cars that are SmartWay Certified by the EPA.<\/p><\/div>\n

By Mark Chesnut<\/em><\/p>\n

As hybrid vehicles find their way into more and more driveways, car rental companies are gradually adding eco-friendly options to their fleets as well.<\/p>\n

Hertz<\/a> offers the Green Collection, which includes Toyota Prius and Camry hybrids. National has a \u201cstandard hybrid\u201d and an \u201cSUV hybrid\u201d car category. Enterprise has hybrid vehicles but, according to rental terms, cannot guarantee the model until you arrive at the counter.<\/p>\n

Indeed, most rental car companies only have hybrids in limited locations \u2014 if at all. \u201cWe have very little demand either from consumers or companies for hybrids or electric cars at this time,\u201d said John R. Barrows, vice president of communications at Avis<\/a> Budget Group, \u201cand so as a result we have virtually no electric vehicles and only a very small quantity of gas\/electric hybrids available for rent.\u201d<\/p>\n

The reason for the lack of options, Barrows explained, is \u201csimple economics. Manufacturers still charge relatively high prices for hybrids compared with standard vehicles.\u201d\u00a0 And consumers, he added, don\u2019t usually want to pay the higher prices that rental car companies must charge to make these hybrid fleets viable.<\/p>\n

So how to satisfy your eco-friendly conscience when there is no hybrid in the lot? \u201cThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency runs a program called SmartWay Certification, which is designed to help consumers determine which vehicles are better environmental performers,\u201d Barrows noted. \u201cFor Avis and Budget, 100 percent of the cars in our Class A subcompact, Class B compact and Class C intermediate car classes are EPA SmartWay Certified.\u00a0This makes it very easy for any of our customers to drive away from any location in a green vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related resources<\/strong><\/p>\n