Enterprise exec urges environmental sustainability in car rental industry
At the 2011 Car Rental Show in Las Vegas, NV, Lee Broughton, Enterprise Holdings' corporate sustainability head, urged rental companies to aim for 'economic, social and environmental sustainability' – what he dubbed as the 'triple bottom line.' Broughton points out that with 1.6 million vehicles on the road, the car rental industry can make an impact in reducing carbon emissions as well as improving the public's knowledge of and experience with hybrid and plug-in vehicles:
Las Vegas Car Rental
We are a hugely significant part of the value chain for bringing alternative-fueled vehicles to the mass market. The service we provide offers a unique way for manufacturers to expose consumers to these cars, while allowing the car rental industry to demonstrate our willingness to help find the right solution to the alternative-power issue.
Enterprise Holdings, which includes Alamo Rent A Car, National Car Rental, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, is the largest car rental company in the world. As such it seems it is working to set an example for the rest of the industry RE being environmentally responsible. 35 percent of its vehicles average 32 miles per gallon on the highway and 55 percent average 28 mpg. As of January 2011, Enterprise Holdings was the first to rent the Chevy Volt and is adding 500 Nissan Leafs to the fleet. Additionally, it offers an opportunity for customers to offset their rentals' carbon emissions with an optional $1.25 fee, and Enterprise has committed to match these donations, up to $1 million per year.
It's refreshing to hear of a large company concerned over more than just their profits. What do you think? Would the availability of plug-ins as rentals assist in achieving President Obama's goal of one million plug-in vehicles on U.S. roads by 2015?
