Enterprise Rent-A-Car Establishes VE85™/FlexFuel Branch in Cincinnati; Demonstrates Nationwide Commitment to Alternative Fuels and Technologies

Enterprise Leverages Largest FlexFuel Fleet in America – 41,000 Vehicles – To Expand Consumer Awareness, Use of E85 Ethanol Blend

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As part of a partnership to promote the increased availability and use of alternative fuels and technologies throughout the United States, Enterprise Rent-A-Car today designated one of its Cincinnati rental locations as an official “VE85™/FlexFuel branch.” Enterprise joined with Kroger Co., General Motors (GM), and VeraSun Energy, one of the largest producers of ethanol in the U.S., to make the announcement at Kroger’s 5830 Harrison Ave. location, where Kroger offers VeraSun’s branded E85 blend, VE85™, to Cincinnati drivers.

“A quarter of the fleet at that branch will be GM FlexFuel vehicles, and we are committed to keep them fueled with VeraSun’s branded E85, VE85™ from Kroger’s fuel pumps. It’s a pleasure to join with others who share our commitment to environmental stewardship.”

For Enterprise, the move is the latest addition to a comprehensive, long-term environmental stewardship platform, and follows the June 28 launch of Enterprise’s first VE85™/FlexFuel branch in Washington, D.C., and D.C.’s first VE85™ fueling station. Enterprise has the world’s largest fleet of FlexFuel vehicles – 41,000 cars and trucks that have the ability to burn E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Nationally, Enterprise is actively deploying as many of its FlexFuel vehicles as possible near E85 fueling stations in order to build consumer awareness and increase the number of cars being fueled with E85, which, according to the EPA, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20 percent.

“As the owner of the world’s largest vehicle fleet, we are committed to fueling our FlexFuel vehicles with E85 and sending a strong message that we are ready to embrace new technologies and alternative fuels as they become commercially viable,” said Bobby Willard, Enterprise Rent-A-Car vice president and general manager of the company’s Central Southwest Ohio Group. “Those who produce and sell FlexFuel vehicles and E85 fuel need to know that if they make it, we will buy it, and we will encourage our customers to use it as well.

“Today we are honored to back that commitment by establishing our first VE85™/FlexFuel car rental location in Cincinnati,” Willard said. “A quarter of the fleet at that branch will be GM FlexFuel vehicles, and we are committed to keep them fueled with VeraSun’s branded E85, VE85™ from Kroger’s fuel pumps. It’s a pleasure to join with others who share our commitment to environmental stewardship.”

The Enterprise VE85™/FlexFuel branch – located at 6610 Glenway Ave.– will have about 25 GM FlexFuel vehicles available for rental. To educate customers about VE85™, Enterprise will provide in-car materials showing the locations of Kroger’s Ohio VE85™ fueling stations, and offering information on the environmental benefits of the fuel.

Enterprise will also designate car rental locations in Columbus and Dayton as VE85™/FlexFuel branches that are committed to fuel their FlexFuel vehicles at Kroger’s stations. Statewide, Enterprise expects to use more than 40,000 gallons of VE85™ per year.

Kroger supported today’s announcement by partnering with GM and VeraSun to offer VE85™ fuel for 85 cents per gallon at the Harrison Ave. location from 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. GM will also offer a $25 refueling card to customers driving GM FlexFuel vehicles.

“At Enterprise, we know there are two things we need to be successful for the long term – cars and fuel,” said Willard. “We need access to both and both must be acceptable to society. For us, environmental stewardship is about sustaining our business for the long term by addressing the parts of the world our business touches. Embracing renewable fuel blends like VE85™ and alternative technologies like FlexFuel is a step in the right direction to reduce vehicle emissions and cut our dependence on fossil fuels.

“Part of our goal as a company is to reduce the environmental impact of our own fleet,” Willard added. “But we know our customers care about the environment, too. We want to make it easier for them to make sustainable choices. In Cincinnati, this focus on VE85™ and FlexFuel vehicles will help us accomplish that goal.”

The other major elements of Enterprise’s environmental platform include:

• Nationwide, Enterprise offers more than 3,000 gas/electric hybrid vehicles and will take delivery of 1,500 additional hybrids this fall.
• A third of Enterprise’s U.S. fleet qualifies 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.
• Enterprise has more fuel-efficient cars on the road than any other rental car company in the world, with more than 334,000 vehicles – 47 percent of its rental fleet – averaging a highway fuel efficiency rating of at least 28 mpg. This is nearly 10 times the number of similar vehicles offered by its nearest competitor. In addition, more than 199,000 vehicles – 28 percent of Enterprise’s worldwide rental fleet – average at least 32 miles per gallon.
• Enterprise also offers hourly vehicle rentals in several major metropolitan areas, a solution many urban residents are seeking in order to limit vehicle ownership, reduce congestion, and address other environmental concerns resulting from the use of vehicles in densely populated areas.
• 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, 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.

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 is North America’s largest car rental company in fleet size, number of locations, and annual revenue, ranking No. 21 on the Forbes Top 500 Private Companies in America. Enterprise has ranked highest in customer satisfaction among airport rentals in seven out of the past eight years, according to J.D. Power and Associates Rental Car Satisfaction Study^SM. Enterprise is owned by the Taylor family, who also own and operate the Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental businesses. For more information about Enterprise, visit www.enterprise.com.