
“With one of the world’s largest rental-car fleets, Hertz is uniquely positioned to catalyze the adoption of all-electric vehicles and infrastructure supporting electric mobility,” said Mark Jamieson, Coda’s CFO and CEO, in a statement.Hertz said its network of more than 8,300 locations would give it a “unique opportunity” to introduce the all-electric CODA to potential consumers. Hertz is working to set up vehicle charging stations at its rental and car sharing locations, with the aim of rolling out a full-scale electric vehicle rental program in the US and abroad beginning in 2011.
For Hertz, Santa Monica-based Coda’s vehicles are just one piece of its larger Global EV program, which aims to make Hertz the first company to provide a range of all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles for rent or car-sharing, along with charging stations, globally. Hertz has already made plans to offer the all-electric Nissan Lead and electric vehicles from General Motors, Toyota and Mitsubishi.
Electric fleet vehicle tracking showed that the Coda Sedans offer 120 mile range on a single charge, with a single charge predicted to cost around $3.50. The Coda Sedan is being released in 2011, designed for every day use by up to five passengers. The four-door, five-passenger vehicle can plug into standard outlets and gets 90-120 miles per six-hour charge.A full charge is expected to require about six hours to complete, while a two-hour charging would provide enough power for 40 miles of driving.
Enterprise is planning to add the Nissan Leaf to its rental vehicle fleet, which already includes thousands of hybrids that have been added since early 2009.
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