Green Rental Cars: More Than Just Hybrid or Electric
In the world of car rentals, being environmentally aware extends far beyond hybrid and electric cars. Green rental cars cover everything from non-toxic waterless car washing solutions to LEED certified facilities and cars painted brilliant chartreuse.
By Holly Reich
A Waterless Car Wash?
Two of the largest rental companies, Enterprise and Hertz, are fans of waterless cleaning.
“Enterprise Holdings has used a waterless car wash solution at several of our Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental locations since early 2011,” says spokesperson Lisa A. Martini.
The company just started using a more environmentally friendly option (PAK-IT Vehicle Wash Program) at all three major airports in New York as well as Boston’s Logan International with expansion planned for Hawaii and California. PAK-IT is PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) so it’s non-toxic and safe for employees to handle.
Hertz is also in the game of reducing its environmental footprint. The corporation joined up with Green Team Partners to launch a waterless, non-toxic, “green clean” car washing process at more than 220 neighborhood locations across the United States. The company’s goal is to make waterless car washing available to nearly 3,700 locations, which could save more than 130 million gallons of car wash water annually.
It’s also a time saver. Hertz claims that its green rental cars can be washed with 6 to 8 ounces of the environmentally friendly solution in approximately 8 minutes.
Green Cars All-Hybrid Fleet
On a smaller scale, GoGreenRide.com, a car service launched in New York City last April, uses one type of car in their fleet–Toyota Prius V 2013.
“The green on our cars (they are all colored Chartreuse) is more than just a paint color: it’s a representation of a commitment to a green lifestyle,” says Adam Gelman, the Chief Commercial Officer of GoGreenRide.
“The company purchases carbon credits to offset their emissions into the environment through a waste management project that results in GoGreenRide’s being carbon neutral.”
For cleaning GoGreenRide uses biodegradable products on the inside and water saving computer controlled systems for the outside of its cars.
And you, the customer, gets more for your money. Each of its cars comes equipped with an iPad, WI-FI and phone chargers. The cost is competitive with NYC’s yellow cab service and cheaper than a private car.
Let’s Hear It For The Ladies
Oh, and just one more thing about GoGreenRide. Gelman bragged, “About 20% of our drivers are women. Out of 46,000 cab drivers in NYC, only 170 are women. And 60% of rides are taken by women yet 99% of rides are driven by men!”
One Response to “Green Rental Cars: More Than Just Hybrid or Electric”
Great post, Tom… good news! I’m hoping one of those hybrid centers is here in St. Louis… would love to be able to rent a hybrid.