Thursday, January 29, 2009

Hybrid Car Rental Options

By Anton Rowd

Hybrid cars account for probably less than 5% of the US Market but the demand for them has risen to over 50% over the last six years that they entered the mainstream. It's no surprise how much of an effect they have had on the average driver and consumer but it seems that hybrid is definitely the future of the automobile industry; so much so, in fact, that it's also not a shock to see hybrid car rental companies sprouting up here and there.

On the Rise

Long before the introduction of electric hybrid, car rental companies that support environment friendly vehicles have been around already. They were renting out other vehicles that were either purely electric or were using power sources other than the fuel and electric combination as well as the conventional gas-powered cars as well. As soon as hybrid electric vehicles were introduced, it was inevitable for these companies to add them to their rosters as well.

Advantage

It is just as well that these car rental agencies exist to address the demand for the use of hybrid electric cars. For the consumer, it will be a good opportunity to test out a hybrid before making the decision to purchasing to own one. By renting one out for a week or so, a person will be able to determine if the hybrid electric definitely will do what manufacturers say it will do.

Hybrid cars can differ in some of the vehicle's aspects. The concept behind the technology may be the same for all manufacturers but there are a few key differences between hybrid models released by various car companies.

Savings

Hybrid car rental companies also make it much easier for travelers to get around. Travelers who do use hybrid cars will most definitely be spending much less on gas since hybrid electric vehicles can run for much longer on lesser amounts of gas.

As far as car rental is concerned, the hybrid car rental my fare much better than its gas-fueled counterparts if this keeps up. This also means that car rental agencies that do rent out hybrid vehicles will probably rent them out at even cheaper prices since fuel rates will not be too much of a concern for them.

Hybrid vehicles are also much easier to maintain because they do not have too many complicated engine parts and pipes under the hood. Since they are simple and get the job done more efficiently and in an eco-friendly way, consumers not only save money, but they end up saving the world from hazardous carbon dioxide emissions as well.

There are only a handful of hybrid car rental companies but this is going to change in the very near future since the demand for hybrid vehicles is quickly on the rise. Perhaps through these hybrid car rental agencies, people will learn to appreciate hybrid vehicles even more which will hopefully lead to their use over gas guzzlers in the city streets and highways. - 15790

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