6.06.2007 - 09:02am ET

(CSRwire) ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 6, 2007--Enterprise Rent-A-Car today announced the car rental industry's most comprehensive environmental stewardship platform. The platform features several long-term initiatives, including an unparalleled fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles, FlexFuel vehicles, and gas/electric hybrids, as well as a commitment to alternative fuels research.

"We know that more and more consumers expect the companies that serve them to share their concerns about the environment. For our company and our industry to be successful, we must address those concerns while also working to sustain our business over the long term," said Andrew C. Taylor, chairman and CEO of Enterprise Rent-A-Car. "To that end, Enterprise is investing in the latest technologies to minimize fuel consumption and related emissions, today and tomorrow."

Enterprise has more fuel-efficient cars on the road than any other rental car company in the world, with 47 percent of its rental fleet - more than 334,000 vehicles - averaging at least 28 mpg. This is nearly 10 times the number of similar vehicles offered by its nearest competitor. In addition, 28 percent of its worldwide rental fleet - more than 199,000 vehicles - averages at least 32 miles per gallon. Beyond that, a third of the vehicles in Enterprise's U.S. fleet qualify for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay certification mark, a distinction the EPA grants to vehicles that emit relatively low levels of both regulated pollutants and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

"Including EPA-certified SmartWay, Flex Fuel, and hybrid cars in a fleet is a great way to lower greenhouse gas emissions," said Margo Oge, director of EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality. "We applaud companies that adopt these kinds of strategies, which are good for both the environment and our energy security."

In 2006, Enterprise launched its FlexFuel initiative, which is aimed at maximizing the use of more than 41,000 FlexFuel cars and light trucks in its U.S. fleet that have the ability to burn high levels of ethanol-based fuel. These vehicles, such as Chevy's Impala, employ a technology that allows them to burn the corn-based ethanol blend known as E85 (85 percent ethanol with 15 percent gasoline). Enterprise is actively deploying as many of its FlexFuel vehicles as possible near E85 fueling stations in order to increase the number of cars being fueled with E85.

Enterprise also operates more than 3,000 gas/electric hybrid vehicles which are powered by a combination of gas and battery-generated electricity.

Taylor said the company's efforts to reduce fuel consumption and related emissions are as much about sustaining Enterprise's business as they are about sustaining the environment.

"We have always managed our business for the long term, and we are taking that same long-term approach here," he said. "Taking care of the environment is the right thing to do, but for Enterprise it is more than that; very simply, it is a business imperative if we are to continue to run our business and serve consumers successfully into the future.

"To that end, we must have access to an adequate supply of vehicles, have a plentiful fuel supply, and have society's acceptance to operate our vehicles. And while none of the initiatives we are undertaking represents a total solution, we believe our environmental stewardship platform encompasses solid steps in the right direction."

Other highlights of Enterprise's environmental commitment:

-- In addition to making the most of currently available technologies and looking for new ways to reduce the environmental impact of its operations, Enterprise is actively funding the advancement of alternative fuel research to reduce dependence on fossil fuels for the long term. In February, Enterprise's founding family (the Jack Taylor family of St. Louis) gave $25 million to create the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, one of the world's foremost plant research centers. The Institute will work to develop acceptable and affordable alternatives to finite fossil fuels by finding new ways to create fuel from renewable, reliable plant sources.

-- In 2006, Enterprise launched the 50 Million Tree Pledge, a public/private/non-profit partnership involving The National Arbor Day Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service. Through this initiative, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation will underwrite the planting of 50 million trees - 1 million trees a year over the next 50 years in national forests around the country - or the equivalent of planting a new Central Park every 10 days for the next 50 years. The grant will also fund tree-planting initiatives in international locations where Enterprise does business, including Europe and Canada. In total, it is a gift valued at $50 million if paid for in today's dollars.

-- Enterprise is beginning to offer hourly vehicle rentals in several major metropolitan areas, a solution many urban residents are seeking in order to limit vehicle ownership, reduce congestion, and other environmental concerns resulting from the use of vehicles in densely populated areas. Enterprise began offering hourly rentals in some of its Chicago offices in 2005. Since then, the service has been expanded throughout Chicago to Enterprise's 200-plus locations in that city, as well as locations in other major metropolitan areas including New York; Portland, Ore.; Seattle; and Washington, D.C.

-- Enterprise also manages vanpool businesses in several large metropolitan areas, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, and Dallas. Today, 1,700 vans transport more than 16,000 urban commuters daily, reducing emissions and fuel consumption while easing road congestion.

-- Enterprise is working to extend its environmental commitment beyond its vehicles. Starting this year, Enterprise will print all customer rental contracts on recycled paper with 30% post-consumer material. This will save more than 2,730 mature trees every year or 10 acres of forests - about the size of 10 football fields. Earlier this year, the company began printing its magazine, Free Enterprise, on recycled paper. With a print run of 65,000 four times a year, that is more than 3 million pages now printed on recycled paper.

"We want our customers to know that when they choose Enterprise, they get more than just a rental car. They also are getting our commitment to making a positive difference in those parts of the world we touch with our business, now and in the future," Taylor said.

About Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Founded in 1957, Enterprise-Rent-A-Car is headquartered in St. Louis and serves customers in the United States, Canada, the U.K., Ireland, and Germany. Enterprise ranks No. 21 on the Forbes Top 500 Private Companies in America. Enterprise has ranked highest in customer satisfaction among airport car rentals in seven out of the past eight years, according to the J.D. Power and Associates Rental Car Satisfaction Study(SM). For more information about Enterprise, visit www.enterprise.com.



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