Enterprise Rent-A-Car to rent out Chevrolet Volts

Chevrolet Volt

Enterprise Rent-A-Car announced yesterday that it will be the first such company to offer the Chevrolet Volt to consumers for daily and weekly rental. 5,000 of Enterprise’s neighborhood and airport locations are located within 90% of the US population, including the Mark Christopher Auto Center in Ontario, California, which will be the first Enterprise site to offer the Volt, along with a new charging station.

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“Purchase demand for electric vehicles has been impressive, and we anticipate similar demand from rental customers,” said Jeff Morrell, vice president of Enterprise Rent-A-Car. “Making the Volt available will provide an extended test drive for curious customers, for those with cars being serviced and for those interested in possibly purchasing an EV.”

Select Enterprise locations will also offer 500 units of Nissan LEAF, but the Volt offers a more practical solution to them for the time being as it features a gasoline powered range-extender.

Refresher: The 2011 Chevrolet Volt is powered by 16-kWh, “T”-shaped lithium-ion battery that powers the electric drive unit, which allows it to drive up to 50 miles on battery power alone. The system puts out 149-hp and a maximum torque of 273 lb-ft, allowing the Volt to go from 0-60 mph in about 9 seconds, hitting a top speed of 100 mph. The battery can be re-charged by plugging into a household outlet and takes 4 hours to recharge on 240 volts, and about 10-12 hours on a standard 120-volt outlet. The Chevrolet Volt also carries an 84-hp 1.4 4-clyinder engine that allows the five-door, FWD sedan to travel additional miles while averaging a fuel-economy of 50 mpg. A fully charged battery and full tank of gas will allow the Volt to travel 340 miles. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt gets an EPA estimated 93 miles per ’gallon-equivalent’ when driving under electric power only, 37 mpg when in gasoline mode and over the long term it is estimated to get 60 miles per gallon in combined gasoline-powered and electric-powered driving. Prices for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt start at $41,000 but with a full federal income tax credit (which range from $0 to $7,500), the Volt can cost a total of $33,500.

– By: Stephen Calogera