With gas prices likely heading north of $4/gallon in some areas of the U.S. this summer, Enterprise Rent-a-Car is looking to provide some relief for their customers. The biggest rental agency in the U.S. has opened four new outlets in the Atlanta area that will be specializing in greener vehicles, primarily hybrids. Enterprise expects over sixty percent of rentals from the four green outlets to be hybrids or other fuel efficient models. The company has now accumulated over 4,000 hybrids in its rental fleet although that's just a tiny fraction of its 1.1 million vehicle fleet. Enterprise and other rental agencies are charging premiums of $5-15 a day for hybrids over conventional models. Hertz and Avis Budget Group have also added 3,500 and 2,500 hybrids to their fleets as demand for more efficient rental cars has expanded. So far the hybrid rentals have largely been confined to larger markets such as San Francisco, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Travelers aren't the only ones renting hybrids. Drivers with an interest in potentially buying a hybrid that want a longer test drive are also opting for the gas electric models as a way of evaluating whether they are appropriate for them.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]