Spirits Co. To Use Hybrid Cars From Hertz Fleet For Local Travel

Brown-Forman Corp. has melded its environmental policy with its rental car program, forging a special agreement with Hertz Corp. to use hybrid cars for the company's regional travel needs.

The Louisville, Ky.-based wine and spirits producer, known for such brands as Jack Daniels and Southern Comfort, officially rolled out its hybrid rental program in April, following a few months of testing with employees, said Walt Tressler, Brown-Forman's corporate services manager. The agreement gives the company use of three Toyota Prius automobiles in Louisville.

"We have a great leadership that very much believes in preservation and sustainability," Tressler said. "All of our products come from the earth—from grain and water—so we want to be good stewards."

Employees now are strongly encouraged to use the hybrids for their regional travel needs, such as trips to the distillery in Tennessee or for nearby conferences, Tressler said. The company's travel agents also were instructed to suggest the hybrid rental to employees. Employee training also was vital, as hybrid cars handle differently than standard cars, and inquiries about the hybrid rentals now are coming in daily, he said.

Brown-Forman chose the agreement with Hertz after weighing other options, such as buying or leasing environmentally friendly cars for its own fleet.

"It turns out to be a great solution for the company," Tressler said. "For the company, there's virtually no additional cost. We're renting cars that we would have been renting otherwise."

In fact, with gas prices rising as rapidly as they have in recent weeks, Tressler said he wouldn't be surprised if the company came out ahead financially on the deal.

Eco-conscious options are springing up for car renters across the country. Enterprise Rent-A-Car added five biodiesel vehicles to its fleet in Portland, Ore., the company announced in April. Other smaller companies also have tapped into that market, such as Bio-Beetle, which offers all-biodiesel cars in Los Angeles and Maui.

However, it's far from feasible for businesses with a large car rental spend to switch to such a program exclusively, said Neil Abrams, president of Purchase, N.Y.-based Abrams Consulting Group. Because hybrid cars still are expensive compared with standard cars, they're unlikely to become major portions of rental fleets anytime soon.

"It's really in its embryonic stages," Abrams said. "You'll see a lot of niche players, but it's really got to start with the customers."

If more companies begin demanding fuel-alternative vehicles as part of their rental program, it could expedite the process, as rental car companies will want to hold onto their business, Abrams said. The equation also would require increased demand on manufacturers to make such vehicles economical.