Hybrid Car Review

If buying an electric vehicle is out of reach for now, perhaps you'd rather rent one and see what it's like? Hertz and Nissan announced the Nissan Leaf will be available to rent starting in 2011 in the US and Europe.

Nissan is touting the Nissan Leaf as the first affordable, zero-emission car, and just announced you can reserve one starting in the spring of 2010. But they have not announced what the MSRP will be. It will come with the batteries (there was a lot of speculation the battery pack would be leased, instead of sold with the car). Nissan expects 20,000 pre-orders to be made before it goes on sales.

Nissan will invite people to "opt-in" and receive updates and information about Leaf through a reservation system that will tell them when the electric car is available--either for test drives or to take home. Participants will receive the latest news about the company's zero-emission activities as well as information about Nissan Leaf and how to become "plug-in ready."

The Leaf will have a range of 100 miles or so and seats five.

"The partnership with Nissan seals Hertz's commitment to green-car rentals and firmly demonstrates our mission to advancing zero-emission mobility on a global scale," said Mark P. Frissora, Hertz Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said in a statement.

Toshiyuki Shiga, Chief Operating Officer of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., commented: "Our partnership with Hertz is an important step towards our goal of promoting widespread acceptance of electric vehicles. Together with our Alliance partner Renault, we aim to be the leader in zero-emission vehicles which we believe are one of the best solutions for sustaining the growing need for transport across the globe."