Europcar Plans LEAF Electric Offering

It’s been announced that Japanese carmaker Nissan and Europcar, the leading car rental firm in Europe, have teamed up to make the award-winning LEAF available in London and Paris for short-term hire. The companies have formed a Definitive Agreement after both agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding, during which they examined ways to jointly promote the concept of zero-emissions motoring. The availability will start this month, bringing the 2011 World and European Car of the Year to a wider audience.

The Nissan LEAF is confirmed to have a range of 110 miles, which is the average drive for over 90% of UK commuters. Even though the 100% electric car doesn’t differ to other vehicles in the core driving department, every customer will be given a face-to-face handover by a representative at Europcar who has been completely trained on the LEAF and how it works.

To make renting the LEAF even easier for customers, Europcar will recharge the vehicle free for free and will even waive the standard service charge usually imposed for refuelling a car. Customers can also call a Nissan Hotline with any questions regarding the car. When the customer returns the vehicle to Europcar, they will be given a survey for feedback that will be used to help shape future versions of electric vehicles at Nissan.

In London, three of the five LEAFs will be made available to leisure motorists, and the other two will be for corporate customers. The pilot scheme will initially run for three months, and it could be extended to other cities in Britain and France, and beyond, if the scheme is successful.

This development will be especially important for Londoners, as Mayor Boris Johnson has a goal to make the British city Europe’s electric vehicle capital. He was warned last week by the London Assembly that it could take 100s of years to meet the 100,000 electric vehicles he wants on the city’s roads. It’s understood there has been reluctance to offer an electric vehicle hire programme similar to the scheme Paris launched last year, with the Mayor’s Office hoping rental firms will provide the opportunity.

Europcar chief operating officer Rafael Girona said that the company has believed for a long time that electric vehicles are a sustainable means of transport, and they are dedicated to enabling an early adoption of this type of car. They are proud to partner with Nissan to facilitate the expanding presence of electric vehicles and give their customers the greenest mobility solutions possible.

Europcar UK Group managing director Ken McCall says that hiring a LEAF could be the best option for motorists wanting to reduce how much they pay for fuel and avoid congestion fees. At the head of electric car technology, the vehicle is a perfect fit for the company’s philosophy of pioneering sustainable hire solutions, providing a real choice to customers.

Nissan International SA vice president of sales operations Guillaume Cartier said that there are two obvious reasons for their decision to team up with Europcar to introduce the LEAF to the short-term hire market in London and Paris. The first is because, with its zero-emissions and great driving pleasure, the vehicle is perfect for inner city motoring. The second is because it’s great for drivers not sure about an electric vehicle being suitable for their needs. By hiring a LEAF and using it in real world conditions, unsure consumers can evaluate the electric vehicle in their own time.