The National Urban League was awarded $3 million by the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation. The award was given by the charitable division of Enterprise Rent-A-Car in support of the Urban League’s Whitney M Young Jr Centre for Urban Leadership, which is an initiative to promote the growth and development of future leaders.

Marc H Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, said that Enterprise has historically been a significant partner in helping to develop and inspire the future business leaders in the US. He went on to add that his organisation is extremely grateful for the support of Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

According to Enterprise Holdings Chairman and CEO Andy Taylor, his firm is pleased to continue its support of the National Urban League in its efforts to change lives and… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on July 29th, 2010

Hertz has announced that it is opening a Gulf Coast Customer Care Centre to assist those going to the Gulf region to help cleanup activities related to the BP oil spill. The car hire giant is catering to the many business travellers, government employees, and retail customers who will need SUVs and other cleanup related equipment, as well as the typical rental cars the firm usually provides.

According to Mark P Frissora, Hertz chief executive, his company has been trying to provide the best possible service to those in the Gulf since the beginning of the current environmental crisis. He went on to say that the creation of the Gulf Coast Customer Care Centre will help facilitate the clean-up efforts through Hertz’s ability to provide car rental and other equipment… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on July 28th, 2010

Nissan Motor Co has announced that it is now selling its Leaf electric autos to Enterprise Rent-A-Car for use in the car hire giant’s US locations. The first order of the rechargeable hatchbacks will be delivered in January 2011, and although Enterprise will start with a quantity of 500, Nissan hopes to ultimately sell at least 20,000 Leaf autos to consumers in America within the first year of its release in the US.

According to Katherine Zachary, a Nissan spokesperson, Enterprise has agreed to purchase 500 of the lithium-ion-powered vehicles. Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn said that his company hopes to expand the Leaf production in order to hit company goals of a whopping 500,000 units by the year 2012. In addition to the Enterprise sale, Nissan has also agreed… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on July 27th, 2010

A recent survey by Co-operative Insurance has found that the majority of motorists eat and drink while driving their autos. As much as 53 per cent of the 3,000 individuals questioned said that they occasionally eat some food or drink some type of beverage while operating a motor vehicle, with another 12 per cent admitting to smoking cigarettes while driving. Some 11 per cent claimed they prepared for work while driving, and six per cent said they put on make-up or got dressed.

According to Grant Mitchell of Co-operative Insurance, the results of the survey are alarming, as any task undertaken while behind the wheel has potentially deadly consequences. He said that drivers who do not pay full attention to driving can unnecessarily increase their chances of causing or being… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on July 26th, 2010

Enterprise Rent-A-Car has launched the first car sharing program in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina, the latest implementation of its WeCar program, which offers 24-hour access to car hire for short term driving needs. The inaugural launch of the programs follows St Louis and Nashville as the only other US cities with a public version of the car sharing initiative.

According to Ryan Johnson, Enterprise’s vice president of operations for WeCar, the initiative provides a low-cost, hassle-free method of getting around town. He said that members can register through the WeCar website, receive a membership card, and reserve autos online. Mr Johnson went on to say that the membership card ensures that thievery will not occur, as the keys in the glove box are only accessed after swiping the… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on July 23rd, 2010

Two Budget Rent-A-Car employees were pistol-whipped by an armed assailant at their store in Titusville, Florida. The incident occurred approximated 09:00 on Wednesday, when a six-foot, two-inch tall black man burst into the premises and began issuing demands for cash. The two employees who were preparing to open the store for the day were hit with the pistol and suffered minor injuries, none of which were considered life-threatening.

The attempted robbery occurred at the Budget Rent-A-Car location on the corner of S Washington Avenue and S Terrier Trail, across from the Titusville High School. Police have confirmed that the robber did not take a rental vehicle, although they are still trying to determine if any cash was stolen. According to a police representative, the store primarily takes credit payments, and… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on July 22nd, 2010

Avis enjoyed tremendous success during the World Cup games in South Africa this summer, evidenced by a 200 per cent increase in revenue as compared to the same time a year prior. While many car rental firms saw sluggish performance during the football tournament, even to the point of having to decrease their fleet sizes due to poor demand, Avis bucked the trend and enjoyed a successful summer in cities all across South Africa.

According to Wayne Duvenage, Avis chief executive, his company took several steps to prepare for the games, which he believes is the reason for the incredible success. He said that one particular strategy that Avis undertook was to consult with the firm’s colleagues in Germany, host of the 2006 World Cup, in order to learn the… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on July 21st, 2010

Dollar Thrifty shareholders will have to wait nearly a month before they collectively consider the $1.3 billion proposal by Hertz Global Holdings to purchase their car hire firm. The meeting was originally scheduled for 18 August but was moved to 16 September after US federal regulators advised the company that additional time is needed for stock brokers to notify shareholders of their rights regarding the possible transaction.

Scott Thompson, Dollar Thrifty chief executive, said that the delay may be good for some, but disadvantageous for others. He went on to add that the Securities Exchange Commission’s (SEC) rules require 20 business days between the broker search date and the record date, hence the change. Mr Thompson also said that there is still anticipation of a possible bid by Avis Budget,… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on July 20th, 2010

Starting 15 August of this year, all persons living in New York City who have been convicted of drink driving offences will be required to pass a breath test before starting their auto. The breath test device, expected to be installed in over 4,000 autos within the first year of the new law, will prevent motorists from operating their vehicles if their blood-alcohol content (BAC) is above .025, roughly one-third the New York State legal limit of .08.

Motorists who have been convicted of drink driving offenses, even first time offenders, will be forced to blow into the breathalyser device each time they wish to drive their vehicle, and continue blowing at periodic intervals during their trip. If at any time the device registers a BAC reading of over .025,… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on July 19th, 2010

Car hires in South Africa during the 2010 World Cup games fell short of expectations as many people turned to public transportation as the primary means to travel around the city. McCarthy and Imperial Holdings, two major South African car hire firms, said that although they both increased their fleet sizes in anticipation of the games, the demand for car hire was much lower than they had originally forecast.

According to Brand Pretorious, McCarthy chief executive, his company increased the number of cars in its stock by almost 15 per cent, while Imperial increased the total of their available rental cars to 2000 prior to the start of the World Cup. He went on to add that the low amount of car hire reservations before the games led to a… Read the full story

by Aadyn Taylor on July 16th, 2010