A partnership between Nissan Motor Company and Europcar was announced recently that will make it possible to sample the zero emissions LEAF on a short term basis. Starting February, two of the most engrossed cities in all of Europe will have to offer the 2011 World and European Car of The Year so that more of the public can understand that going Green can really be that easy. Both Paris, France and London, England will be getting a select grouping of LEAFs for full rental via Europcar’s distribution centers. Billed by Nissan as a “City Car”, the fully electric LEAF has the ability to travel up to a homologated range of 175 kilometers which just so happens to be more than 90 percent of European’s commutes.
“Europcar has long believed in electric vehicles as a sustainable means of mobility and is committed to enabling early adoption of this type of vehicles. We are proud to partner with Nissan to facilitate expansion of electric vehicles and provide our customers with the greenest possible mobility solutions” said Rafael Girona, Chief Operating Officer of Europcar. Just like the special instructions given to U.S. LEAF renters by Hertz, Europcar customers will be offered similar treatment. A face-t0-face handover will happen with the watchful eyes of a Nissan-specifically trained employee to ensure the car’s capabilities and limitations are fully understood. Europcar will take care of the recharging as well and will not charge customers for the electricity used to do so.
There are two distinct reasons for joining forces with Europcar to introduce Nissan LEAF to the short term rental market in these two busy cities,” said Guillaume Cartier, Vice President for Sales Operations at Nissan International. “The first is obvious: with its absence of tailpipe emissions and an outstanding driving pleasure, the Nissan LEAF is the perfect car for the inner city. The second is for drivers currently unsure whether an EV is suitable for their needs. By renting a Nissan LEAF and living with it in real world conditions they can evaluate the car in their own time.”
Source: Nissan
