SYDNEY – Europcar will be the first major car hire company in Australia and New Zealand to add electric vehicles to its fleet.
It will partner Nissan to market and promote the use of electric vehicles, starting in 2010.
The announcement closely follows the Australian government’s endorsement of plug-in electric cars.
Group marketing manager Europcar Australia and New Zealand, Ashley Jurberg, said Nissan’s electric vehicles would be well priced to encourage use.
“This will give our customers the means to significantly reduce their carbon emissions when they rent a vehicle from us,†he said.
Europcar in Australia and New Zealand currently offers a carbon-offset programme with Greenfleet, which helps in reducing the environmental impacts of the transport industry.
As part of the Greenfleet programme, Europcar plants 17 trees for each new car that is added to its fleet. Individual customers also can donate $3 to the Greenfleet programme every time they hire a car.
