Kayak launches fuel cost calculator for rental cars

Kayak.co.uk has introduced a new fuel cost calculator to its online rental vehicle search function.

Other petrol calculators are available online, but Kayak claims that its offering is the only one which integrates the total per-day price so that site users are able to compare final rental prices over a number of rental car operators and by class of vehicle.

The Fuel Cost Calculator determines the approximate cost of petrol for a given trip and then adds this cost to the daily rate for each of the vehicle options – instantly.

Also featured is a miles-per-gallon (mpg) slider for rentals in the UK and the US, allowing users to set the limits of acceptable fuel efficiency, the company noted.

The mpg range is determined by the vehicle results returned in a search, and is based on data from both FuelEconomy.gov and car manufacturers, making it possible for customers to choose the most fuel efficient car that’s available.

Kayak’s director of business development, Annie Wilson, spoke of the benefits of the new calculator, noting that the petrol prices vary by destination as well as the vehicle chosen. She added that rental car customers are often unhappily surprised at how expensive the overall hire cost actually is.

Wilson added that to help rental car customers make the most informed choice, Kayak has added a fee calculator and fuel economy information to its rental search results page.

www.kayak.co.uk