Car Sharing As A Buzz-Builder In Europe And America

It’s long been standard practice for car companies to use rental car fleets as mini-test markets. Putting new models in the hands of renters has provided valuable early feedback, sometimes even before the vehicles get to customers. But now, the automakers are using car-share companies to build buzz for some vehicles that have gotten a lot of attention, and even accolades, yet which many consumers have never even seen.

In Europe, a car-sharing battle is erupting over the Ampera, which is the same vehicle as the Chevrolet Volt. Hertz on Demand, the big rental car company’s car-sharing fleet, will offer the Vauxhall Ampera (the British name for the Opel Ampera) in London beginning in June. It also will be adding ten Nissan Leaf electric vehicles to its car-sharing fleet in Oxford, England.

Meanwhile, Zipcar plans to offer ten Amperas for rent in London. The Zipcar pilot will last six months, and the Amperas will be wrapped in decals meant to proclaim the vehicles’ green status. Consumers will pick up the cars in dedicated bays with charging points. It’s up to them to plug in the cars when they return them.

The Ampera, which was Europe’s 2012 car of the year, is built in the same Hamtramck, MI, plant as the Volt, but GM has said it plans to build the vehicle in Europe around 2015. There’s speculation that Ampera could be built in England.

Another car is making car-sharing news. In the United States, Hertz is teaming up with Chrysler to offer the Fiat 500 Sport as part of the Hertz on Demand fleet. The 500 Sport, made by Chrysler’s Italian owner Fiat, will be available in Washington DC, San Antonio, San Francisco, New York, and Miami Beach as well as on fifty college campuses.

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