SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Budget EV Rental Cars opened its second
location, at Budget's Sacramento, Calif., airport facility.
The venture's first location, at Los Angeles Airport, opened in
December.
The venture is an alliance between Budget, the Chicago-based
rental company, and EV Rentals, a Los Angeles firm that specializes
in renting environmentally friendly vehicles.
The venture has the support of a number of car manufacturers,
including Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan and Toyota, and that
of some local utility companies and environmental
organizations.
The Sacramento location is a few miles from the city, and rates
start at $44 a day in that market, depending on the car
category.
Rates at Los Angeles are as high as $69 per day.
The Sacramento fleet will number about 20 vehicles, with models
such as Ford Ranger, Toyota Rav4 and Honda Civic.
When renting, customers get a 10-minute briefing on how to use
the vehicle.
Electric models can travel about 100 miles before re-charging,
which is done -- for free -- at charging stations spread throughout
the rental area.
Natural-gas vehicles can go about 200 miles before
refueling.
The company said that the Sacramento area has about 100
electric-charging stations and 20 natural-gas fueling stations.
The rentals are popular with customers, according to Terry
O'Day, director of planning and operations for EV Rentals.
O'Day said that the venture has produced about 1,000 rentals
since its introduction at Los Angeles Airport.
"We have a lot of customers who choose to take them at the
counter. They come back and say thanks," O'Day said.
Most of the customers are business travelers, but leisure
travelers have rented their fair share, according to O'Day.
Techno-philes, environmentally conscious people and travelers
who just want to try something new also fit the customer profile,
he said.
The company is planning to introduce more rental locations in
Southern California, at airport facilities in Ontario and Burbank
and in Las Vegas and Phoenix, as well.
The company is also hoping to move beyond the West, and O'Day
said it would look at markets that already have an infrastructure
with electric chargers and natural-gas fueling stations, such as
Atlanta and Dallas.
Currently, all reservations must be made by phone, at (877)
EVRENTAL.
O'Day said the company is working on an electronic-booking
process.