Connect By Hertz Adds First Electric Car To Uk Fleet

Over the last few years car share clubs have become increasingly popular in big cities as the cost of driving rises and city roads become more congested. Connect by Hertz, a division of Hertz Car Hire, has been providing cars on a pay-as-you-go basis in cities such as New York and London since it was launched in December 2008.

Now the club, which allows its members to book vehicles for anything from an hour to a week from as little as 5, is giving its London member a chance to try out EVs. The first electric car to be offered by Connect by Hertz in London is the Mitsubishi i-Miev, which should make nipping around the city even more economical. Its all part of Hertz Global EV initiative; New York ,Washington and San Francisco were the first cities to offer EVs under the car sharing service.

"The ability to book and drive electric vehicles by the hour has proven very popular with our Connect by Hertz members in the U.S and given the appeal of the cars' zero emissions and low noise coupled with state-of-the-art driving features and the convenience of car sharing, we are excited about the future in London and the UK for both members of the public and our corporate customers," said Mark Frissora, Chairman and CEO of Hertz Corporation said.
The i-Miev has a range of around 90 miles but its natural that first time EV users will experience range anxiety. To help combat this Hertz have set up a sixteen strong EV charging network across London, at locations including Heathrow and Uxbridge, where members can recharge the i-Mievs battery to 80% capacity in around 30 minutes. When the Source London charging points become available next year renters will also be able to use these; the car rental company have plans for its own nationwide high speed electric car charging network in the pipeline.

If you are keen to try out an EV for yourself the i-MiEV can be hired from just 4 per hour which includes everything from insurance and maintenance, to roadside assistance. Of course you will need to become a member of the car share club, currently Connect by Hertz are waiving the annual fee of 50 and offering free membership.

Electric bikes, from Ultra Motors, can now also be hired for 5 an hour or 20 a day and Hertz are planning on adding more electric cars to their offering. Its expected the Nissan LEAF, which is already available under the scheme in the US, will be offered in the UK. The scheme is set to be rolled out across the UK in the near future, looking to go green and get a Mitsubishi i-Miev in Wiltshire? You might soon be able to try one out in real life situations before you buy!