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Hertz And Nissan Launch Electric Vehicle Initiative In Milan, Italy


hertz (select to view enlarged photo)

LONDON--Dec. 11, 2012: The Hertz Corporation , the world's largest general use car rental brand, has launched an ElectriCity initiative in Milan to provide Nissan LEAF electric vehicles for rent by the hour or day. The Nissan LEAFs can be rented from Hertz Milano Centrale railway station location (Via Cappellini 10), and are bookable online at www.hertz.it.

IKEA, which hosted the official launch at its Milan - San Giuliano store, has agreed with Hertz to offer a specially discounted rental price for member customers of the IKEA Family. The electric vehicles also have free access to Milan's ZTL congestion zone (C area), with free parking in pay and display parking spaces marked by blue stripes. The ElectriCity Milan launch follows the success of Hertz's electric vehicle offerings in other major cities including Rome, Paris, London, New York City and Washington D.C.

Michel Taride, President of Hertz International, said: "Hertz offers electric vehicles in more cities than any other rental company and we are committed to offering eco-friendly mobility solutions for business or holiday journeys. We believe that renting cars such as the Nissan LEAF to city dwellers and visitors can help increase the use of this new technology."

Massimiliano Archiapatti, General Manager of Hertz Italy, added: "Thanks to our partnership with IKEA Family, our joint customers can rent the Nissan LEAFs with a 20% discount and use them to easily shop at the Milan stores in San Giuliano, Carugate and Corsico. They can also re-charge the Nissan LEAF for free at IKEA's electric vehicle charging stations."

Stefano Brown, Sustainability Manager, Retail, IKEA Group said: "IKEA wants to take a leading role towards a low carbon society by significantly reducing CO2 emissions  and adopting new technologies for renewable energy and mobility solutions. Today more than half of the energy used for IKEA buildings is renewable. With this cooperation with Hertz we confirm our commitment to help encourage a new type of mobility by making it available for our IKEA Family customers at a special price."

Bernard Loire, Manager of Nissan Italy, stated: "We're proud to be involved in this innovative electric mobility project along with Hertz and IKEA, who - like us - have always been committed to developing sustainable solutions that combine nature, people and vehicles."

Alberto Sabatino, Corporate Sales Manager of Nissan Italy, added: "With ElectriCity, Hertz and IKEA customers can experience the innovative driving experience of Nissan's LEAF. Thanks to its electrical range, customers will be able to drive the Nissan LEAF from Milan to IKEA stores within the Milan urban area."

Nissan LEAF is a highly popular all-electric vehicle and features a 4 star Euro NCAP rating. It comes with a compact electric engine, with 80 kW power and 280 NM torque, powered by a 24 kWh lithium ion laminated battery which guarantees efficiency, great performance and range. While travelling downhill or braking, the special brake system converts the Nissan LEAF's kinetic energy into electric energy, helping to recharge the battery. A dashboard display indicates the efficiency of the driving. A complete recharge is enough for a distance of 175 km. In addition, with the ECO option drivers can reduce the electric energy consumption, increasing the driving range per recharge.

As the world's largest airport general-use car-rental brand, Hertz is introducing multiple groups of consumers -- urban drivers, university students, travellers and corporations -- to all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. As a result, the company is forming partnerships with automakers, charging-station providers, municipalities, non-governmental organizations, corporations and other stakeholders to make EVs easily accessible to consumers.

Hertz plans to increase its global EV presence by deploying vehicles in other countries in the coming months. Hertz Global EV will continue to leverage the company's rental and car sharing locations as bases for vehicles and charging stations, and tap into its technology -- including sophisticated fleet management tools and consumer-facing GPS systems, including Hertz NeverLost in the U.S. -- to help form an EV grid.