Sixt-rent-a-car launches electric car hire scheme today
The electric powered Citroen model will be available to hire in London from Sixt-rent-a-car
Sixt-rent-a-car’s electric car hire scheme is due to launch in London today. The Fulham/ Chelsea branch of the car hire firm will be the first of the Sixt outlets to offer the zero emissions cars for hire.
Sixt will introduce a range of Ev’ie Citroen models as part of their drive to lower carbon emission and to offer customers a green travel option. The Ev’ie from Citroen boasts some impressive green credentials which will no doubt be a big attraction for those customers who are eager to reduce their carbon footprint.
The Citroen Ev’ie is the ideal choice for travel around the city of London as it gives off zero emissions therefore it is exempt from the central London congestion charge, and has designated car parking spots dotted around the city. The Citroen Ev’ie is the Citroen C1’s green sister. Like the C1 the Ev’ie is a 5 door vehicle with room onboard for 4 passengers.
Hiring an electric car in London can often work out a lot cheaper than hiring your usual fuel powered vehicle. For a start the fuel and running costs are significantly lower; an electric car can be re-charged from as a little as 95p from a domestic power point, and that 95p could potentially keep your car running all day.
However the Ev’ie has its limits. The green machine has a range of 75 miles and a top speed of 60mph, but for city driving, it’s still a very viable option.
To get a closer look at the electric hire cars available at Sixt-rent-a-car, head down to their Fulham/ Chelsea showroom where the cars are currently on display.
Chauffeur Company launches new Smart Car service
executive chauffeur company offer Smart Car service
An executive chauffeur company from the Midlands have just unveiled their plans for a cost-effective chauffeur service for its corporate clients. Independent Chauffeur Services (ICS) have launched their Smart Car service which is aimed specifically at its business customers in a bid to offer a greener and cheaper alternative to traditional chauffeur driven hire without scrimping on quality.
ICS offers a large range of different travel options for its growing corporate clientele and the new Smart Chauffeur is expected to be yet another successful addition to its comprehensive range of premier travel services. With their extensive experience within the industry, ICS noted that a large proportion, over 60%, of their corporate customers only required transport for a single passenger with very little, if any luggage. A large vehicle is a wasted on such a journey which is why the Smart Car scheme was introduced.
Having invested in a fleet of the latest Mercedes Smart models ICS are ready to embark on their latest venture. The vehicles combine the luxurious feel and finish associated with the Mercedes brand but also incorporates ultra low running costs and low CO2 emissions.
The service couldn’t have come at a better time with businesses looking to make savings wherever they can during the economic downturn. With this in mind, ICS have high hopes for their affordable new chauffeur service.
An Electric Rolls Royce Phantom could be on the way
Are Rolls Royce planning an electric Phantom?
Reports are emerging that Rolls Royce are planning to jump on the eco bandwagon and provide an electric vehicle of their own. It has been suggested that The Rolls Royce Phantom will be the first vehicle to get the green make-over.
A hapless Rolls Royce employee added fuel to fire when he accidentally made a comment to the media at U.K motoring event, Goodwood Revival. The unnamed source apparently dropped hints that Rolls Royce were developing an electric car after mentioning lithium-ion battery packs during a discussion with a journalist.
The Chief Executive of Rolls Royce, Tom Purves, has made no secret of his admiration for environmentally friendly cars. Only last year, after taking the electric Mini for a spin, Mr Purves commented on how impressed he was with the vehicle. He said in an interview with Car magazine that an electric power plant would be perfect for Rolls Royce, adding: “We stand for unmatched refinement and you can’t get a quieter and less intrusive engine than a well-engineered electric motor.”
The insightful Rolls Royce boss said he could foresee a time when conventional gas-guzzling vehicles are banned from city centers and urban districts. With the introduction of strict congestion areas in U.K cities it’s likely this prediction is pretty close to the mark.
Given Mr. Purves’s comments, it’s fair to expect that Rolls Royce have some substantial electric car plans up their sleeve.
Car Hire Company joins forces with Renault to offer green transport package
One of the leading providers of car hire, Europcar, has revealed it will join forces with Renault in a bid to provide a comprehensive green car hire package. Renault’s new range of electric cars will be incorporated into Europcar’s fleet and the car hire firm has plans to create a network of re-fuelling points for the electric powered vehicles as part of its environmentally friendly car hire strategy.
Car hire company strikes deal with Renault
The two companies will sign the agreement at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week. Europcar’s decision to stock Renault’s electric car and provide re-charging services will add another form of revenue to the company. Other car hire companies have attempted to do the same thing with regular cars as they allow customers to return their vehicle empty and charge for the cost of the fuel, this allows them to squeeze more money out of the one transaction.
Another company to spot the earning potential of providing an electric re-charge service for these green cars is McDonalds. The North Carolina restaurant of the fast food chain opened up an electric charging service in July of this year.
With more and more emphasis being out upon reducing our carbon footprint and with the increase in the range of car manufacturers making these green vehicles, Europcar’s move to offer a re-fuelling service is particularly shrewd. It also offers perfect opportunity for cross selling products to its car hire customers meaning they should be able to profit from the venture easy.
Renault plans to put the car into production in 2011 with the first vehicle being available to buy from 2012.
Toyota Prius reveal one-off green limo
Toyota's new concept -The Prius Limo
The Toyota Prius is the original hybrid car introduced by the Japanese car manufacturer. It claims to incorporate some of the world’s most advanced technology in its full hybrid efficient car. Now Toyota is going one step further by introducing the first eco-friendly limo under the Prius banner.
This isn’t the first brainwave the Toyota bosses have had. The Prius 6 door limo follows the last innovation which was the Prius hearse. Although the limo will not be for sale initially, the Japanese car manufacturer is hoping to test the water by offering the concept up for debate. They have also developed a prototype so car enthusiasts, and potential customers, can see exactly what they are proposing.
An environmentally friendly limo could well prove a hit with the celebrities. As one of the most frequent users of limos, many are keen to project an image of being eco-conscious, and the Prius limo will certainly tick that box; it mightn’t be long before we spot the Prius limo rolling up to the red carpet.
In these cash-strapped times the Prius limousine will offer a cost-efficient form of limo transport. It is estimated the 8 seater limo will be offer excellent fuel efficiently with the ability to do 50 mpg. It will also feature many of the facilities within the original Prius including solar panelled ventilation and a beltless engine.
Check out the revolutionary limo and let your voice be heard! Whether people are prepared to give up their luxury gas-guzzling party buses in return for an environmentally friendly hybrid limo remains to be seen.
Jaguar keeps up with the times by introducing its own green limo
Jaguar introduce hybrid limo
Not wanting to be outdone by the eco-friendly crowd, Jaguar have now unveiled their latest concept: a hybrid limousine. It is expected to come under the XJ series and will be fully equipped with a range extender engine as well as some yet to be revealed, green technology.
At the moment the green Jaguar limo is not for sale. The iconic car manufacturer is showcasing their latest idea in order to gauge public reaction and to see whether there is indeed a potential market for such a product. However it has been suggested that the hybrid Jag will go into full production once the costs of making the eco-friendly limo come down.
The hybrid Jaguar limo is expected to have a 145kw electrical motor which will power it for 30 miles, after this the 1.2 petrol engine will take over.
The electrical components and battery packs used in the prototype XJ green limo are very expensive and would therefore push the retail price through the roof. The official line form Jaguar regarding this is as follows: “The components aren’t at the right cost or quality yet you would expect of a Jaguar product, but the technology is there.” They go on to say that further research and testing is required before the green limo can go into full production.
Jaguar is said to have invested a hefty 7 figure sum into the development of the green limo, but this is only a fraction of the reported £800 million they have devoted to the expansion of environmentally friendly vehicles across the Jaguar range. However Jaguar are calling for government investment in the scheme if the U.K is to be seen to be, as they put it, “leading the world with low carbon technology”.
Top Bangkok Hotel invests in environmentally friendly limos
eco-friendly limos for Bangkok hotel
A 5 star luxury resort in Bangkok has recently undergone a major overhaul of its present limo hire service. The Bangkok Marriott Resort and Spa has replaced its old fleet of limos with a brand new batch of Mercedes Benz E 200 limos with natural gas technology.
The hotel was concerned about the impact its current range of limos was having on the environment. Bangkok is particularly prone to problems relating to pollution with the city often being clouded in a thick band of smog. The new Mercedes with its natural gas technology (NGT) will slash co2 emissions by over 20% in comparison to the previous limos. It also cuts the running costs of the exclusive vehicles by half.
Natural gas is a successful alternative to petrol as it is a primary energy source and doesn’t require converting for use within vehicles, further reducing the cost of using this kind of fuel. The Mercedes Benz E 200 is designed to be bivalent so the driver can switch between using petrol or natural gas to run the car giving an element of flexibility.
The Bangkok Marriott Resort and Spa is an extremely popular hotel within the area. It offers a vast array of 5 star facilities and features Thai architecture, hot tubs, and tropical gardens providing a relaxing getaway within the heart of the city. The resort is also close to many of Bangkok’s historic palaces, monuments and temples. With the introduction of their new eco-friendly limousine fleet, the hotel is likely to attract a whole new market of environmentally conscious clientele.
Car Hire Giant strikes deal with eco-car manufacturer
Car hire company introduces eco-friendly cars
Fiat prides itself on providing cars with low carbon emissions and its latest models have been designed with this firmly in mind. The new 500 Pop’s road tax is only £35 a year which reflects the low impact the vehicle has on the environment, plus it can be driven into the London congestion zone free of charge thanks to its low carbon emissions.
Europcar has been instrumental in implementing greener travel into the car hire industry. In 2008 they were the first European Car Hire company to be awarded the Green Charter in recognition of its efforts to lower the carbon emissions of its hire vehicles.
As well as offering customers the pick of a wide selection of eco-friendly cars, Europcar’s website also enables customers to check the co2 emissions of each car within its fleet helping them to make an informed decision on their choice of car hire.
Europcar’s move towards greener car hire services is an extremely shrewd one given the attention currently being paid to our carbon footprint. Plus the new fleet of eco-friendly cars from Fiat is sure to entice a whole new market of car hire customers through the doors.
Limo Hire Company to go electric
A Limo Hire Company in Springfield, Illinois in the U.S have announced plans to create a range of all electric limousines. The energy conscious firm have struck up a partnership with Plug-in Motors of Kansas city to assist them in their mission to produce a range of green limos.
U.S company plans to create electric limo hire
The decision to make this revolutionary new limo model will see Imperial Coach Brokers bring over 100 new tech manufacturing jobs to their city of Springfield, a move welcomed by many local residents.
The new electric limo will benefit potential limo hire bosses as the vehicles will have very low running costs in comparison to the traditional gas-guzzling limo. The finished green limo will cost only 3 cents to run per mile and once the battery is charged to the max, the limo will run for 200 miles.
Both companies behind the pioneering scheme are determined to create an electric car with substance and not just a “glorified golf buggy.” The CEO of Plug-in Motors Kurt Neutgens said “We’re showing the world that an electric vehicle doesn’t have to be an egg. It can be exciting to drive, have perfect weight distribution, have terrific handling, terrific zero to sixty top speeds of 80mph and a range of two hundred miles”
The first electric limo will roll off the assembly line early next year and the company hopes to go into full production following that. It is not yet known whether the company has plans to export to the U.K.
Smart Car minicabs lead the way with green chauffeur driven car hire services
Smart Cars leading the way with new green car hire scheme
An Oxford-based private hire company has taken the minicab term literally. They’ve just unveiled a fleet of new vehicles, and they’re all Smart Cars. This revolutionary new scheme named, Solocar, which uses the miniature two-seater vehicle is making quite a name for itself gaining interest from all over the U.K.
The company boss, and brains behind the project George Raithby, was drawn to the idea partly because of the low running costs and also due to the environmentally friendly nature of the Smart Car. Customers also benefit from the lower running costs as they receive a 20% reduction in the price of a fare in comparison to that of a regular taxi.
They couldn’t have chosen a better city to trial the Smart Car hire scheme either. Oxford is proud of its reputation for being a green city with a huge majority of residents choosing a bicycle as their chosen mode of transport and a large amount of park and ride facilities available to discourage people from using a car in the city. The Solocar scheme fits in perfectly with Oxford’s green ethos and has already gained the backing from several councillors.
Company boss Mr Raithby researched the market before making the decision to embark on this project. He found that 60% of trips undertaken by his existing taxi drivers were for single passengers, often with little or no luggage. So far the customer feedback has been positive with many enjoying the novelty of the experience as well as appreciating the energy conscious choice of vehicle.
The Solocar scheme has been so successful that the firm is hoping to expand its fleet form 4 vehicles to 20 by April of next year.
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