Hertz may prove to be tough competition in market segments where it is already strong, such as corpo

By John Addison. New car sharing programs allow two or more people to need only one car. Each shared vehicle results in 6 to 23 cars not being owned. Once someone joins a car share program, they cut their vehicle miles traveled up to 80 percent. car rental rate comparison Introduced first in Europe, car sharing is now growing in the United States with over 200 car share programs operating in over 600 cities.
Zipcar is the leader car rental rate comparison in car sharing with over 260,000 members. Car sharing is popular with individuals who live car free in a city, with couples who share one car, with university students car rental rate comparison and staff, and with corporate fleet and travel managers.
Zipcar makes car sharing easy. After a simple car rental rate comparison enrollment a member is issued a Zipcard. Members reserve a car online or on the phone. At the appropriate hour, they go to their designated car, parked in one of many lots in the city. A Zipcard is used to enter the vehicle and drive until returned to the reserved parking space. A variety of vehicles are available in their program from hybrids to SUVs.
Hertz, as the largest international rental car company, has entered the car sharing market by launching the Connect by Hertz car sharing club, with neighborhood parking in London, New York City and Paris. Hertz plans to expand into additional car rental rate comparison cities, as well as universities, in 2009. As Hertz expands, it can leverage car rental rate comparison its established presence in 8,100 locations in 144 countries worldwide.
Membership in Connect by Hertz includes insurance, fuel, roadside assistance, maintenance and cleaning. car rental rate comparison Connect by Hertz members enjoy a paperless program where they can reserve, car rental rate comparison drive and return vehicles all on their own, via the internet or phone. Connect by Hertz supports Hertz s diversified business model by providing best-in-class car rental rate comparison transportation solutions across the spectrum of customer needs, commented Mark P. Frissora, Chairman and CEO of The Hertz Corporation. In addition to being environmentally friendly, Connect by Hertz cars can save members thousands of dollars a year in vehicle ownership car rental rate comparison costs and, by leveraging Hertz s established infrastructure, we re the first major car rental company to be able to offer members car rental rate comparison the first global car sharing program.
The showcase car of the Connect by Hertz fleet in the United States is the Toyota Prius.  The fuel emissions of the London and Paris cars are significantly less than the voluntary target of a maximum 140 g/km CO2 output set by the EU.
To unlock and engage the Hertz vehicle, members simply swipe their membership card, the Connect card, over the car s radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader. In car, a hands-free audio kit connects members to a Member car rental rate comparison Care Center representative should they have questions, need assistance or need to extend their rental.  The in-car technology also enables Connect by Hertz to communicate with the vehicle enabling car rental rate comparison representatives to unlock, engage and locate vehicles.  The technologically savvy cars are also equipped with iPod connectivity and, in the US, NeverLost® in-car navigation systems and EZ Pass transponders.
Hertz may prove to be tough competition in market car rental rate comparison segments where it is already strong, such as corporate and fleet programs. Enterprise and Zipcar are starting to compete in these areas. Jeff Parell, senior vice president, Enterprise, emphasized, “Our WeCar program can be customized to fit the unique needs of any of our partners, including businesses, government agencies, and universities. So, it gives employees or students the flexibility to attend off-site business meetings, visit customers or vendors…”
car rental rate comparison Brendan Lange personally lives car free, but is enthusiastic about Zipcar for Business. Brendan’s firm coordinates major corporate events and meetings. Brendan’s job is to help clients make the events greener with the best selection of venues, food, beverage, and other choices. Through Zipcar the firm can use different types of vehicles by the hour to match varied needs: little cars for errands, small SUVs for hauling stuff, and upscale four-door sedans for taking clients on tours of potential event sites.
San Francisco claims to be the most successful city in car sharing. Although Hertz has not entered the S.F. car share market, Zipcar has strong competition from City CarShare, a nonprofit car rental rate comparison with a diverse fleet that includes cars that can fit in city parking car rental rate comparison spaces too small for many vehicles including Volkswagen Beetles, Mini Coopers, and Smart cars. City CarShare has more than 6,000 members car rental rate comparison in San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley. “Two-thirds of our members either sell a car or don t buy a car, said CEO Rick Hutchinson.
United States Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi stated, I m proud to be a long-time supporter of City CarShare and I applaud car rental rate comparison their members for saving more than 1 million gallons of gas over the last five years.
Founder car rental rate comparison of the Clean Fleet Report, author of Save Gas, Save the Planet. John writes about electric cars, renewable energy, and sustainability. (c) Copyright John Addison. Permission to repost up to a 200 word summary if a link is included to the original article at Clean Fleet Report.