Thursday, March 06, 2008
Hertz goes Green, kinda.
The ecological impact of travel is becoming a hot topic these days, and not just with the granola munching, tree hugging set. With climate change becoming an omnipresent topic in almost everything these days, many travel providers are taking note and taking steps to ensure a product that might offer less impact on the environment. One company taking baby steps to ensure a greener traveling experience is Hertz.
True, you can still drive a Hummer with the car rental behemoth, but the Prius and just about every other hybrid is on the menu too. In fact, according to a release by the company in 2007, over 40% of their fleet is capable of getting great gas mileage in excess of 34 miles per gallon. A full two-thirds of the fleet gets at least 28 miles per gallon. On the whole, that's pretty environmentally friendly. And given the current price for oil, pocketbook friendly too.
Hertz has also introduced "The Green Collection." A fleet of over 35,000 cars that get a minimum of 28 miles per gallon and over 10% of these vehicles are hybrid cars, including the popular Prius. At the New York Times Travel Show, in late February, Elliot Friedman, Hertz' Division Vice President for the Travel Industry was there to crow about how much of a success it has been, saying that since it's inception, the Green Collection has been extremely popular, so much so that the program is still expanding, and doing so rapidly. "We're looking to buy just about any hybrid car that we can get our hands on," Friedman said during a panel on Ecotourism at the Travel Show.
Part of the program's success may have something to do with a guarantee. If you rent a Prius, you'll get a Prius. Too often, rental car agencies "upgrade" clients to cars that may not be what's needed. The 45 mpg Kia might have been on the reservation sheet, but all that's on the lot at arrival is the 20 mpg Pontiac. This will not happen with Hertz' Green Collection. You get what you pay for, period. In another nice touch, $1 from every rental in the collection will go to the conservation of National Parks.
Does this mean that Hertz is going green? Yes and no. Hertz is committed to increasing overall fleet mileage, but within categories and "buckets," according to Friedman. In other words, in an abstract sense, yes. But Friedman says there is no overall goal to improve efficiency of its vehicles by a certain amount. Friedman talked about how there are still a lot of people that want their H2 when traveling and Hertz doesn't want to alienate those people either. The Green Collection isn't exactly omnipresent either, available only at 50 airports across the United States and it does cost more than other rentals within the company, but it is a start - possibly to something bigger.
True, you can still drive a Hummer with the car rental behemoth, but the Prius and just about every other hybrid is on the menu too. In fact, according to a release by the company in 2007, over 40% of their fleet is capable of getting great gas mileage in excess of 34 miles per gallon. A full two-thirds of the fleet gets at least 28 miles per gallon. On the whole, that's pretty environmentally friendly. And given the current price for oil, pocketbook friendly too.
Hertz has also introduced "The Green Collection." A fleet of over 35,000 cars that get a minimum of 28 miles per gallon and over 10% of these vehicles are hybrid cars, including the popular Prius. At the New York Times Travel Show, in late February, Elliot Friedman, Hertz' Division Vice President for the Travel Industry was there to crow about how much of a success it has been, saying that since it's inception, the Green Collection has been extremely popular, so much so that the program is still expanding, and doing so rapidly. "We're looking to buy just about any hybrid car that we can get our hands on," Friedman said during a panel on Ecotourism at the Travel Show.
Part of the program's success may have something to do with a guarantee. If you rent a Prius, you'll get a Prius. Too often, rental car agencies "upgrade" clients to cars that may not be what's needed. The 45 mpg Kia might have been on the reservation sheet, but all that's on the lot at arrival is the 20 mpg Pontiac. This will not happen with Hertz' Green Collection. You get what you pay for, period. In another nice touch, $1 from every rental in the collection will go to the conservation of National Parks.
Does this mean that Hertz is going green? Yes and no. Hertz is committed to increasing overall fleet mileage, but within categories and "buckets," according to Friedman. In other words, in an abstract sense, yes. But Friedman says there is no overall goal to improve efficiency of its vehicles by a certain amount. Friedman talked about how there are still a lot of people that want their H2 when traveling and Hertz doesn't want to alienate those people either. The Green Collection isn't exactly omnipresent either, available only at 50 airports across the United States and it does cost more than other rentals within the company, but it is a start - possibly to something bigger.
Labels: ecotravel, effects of travel, green travel, hertz, rental cars, travel
Roger, 1:01 AM
