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Electric rental cars introduced in Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla -- Visitors to Orlando often try new things while on vacation: thrilling roller coasters, luxury hotels, different cuisines.

Now they can try out a fully electric car — and not have to pay for gas during their vacation.




“Our hope is that it's a revolutionary project — once we get people in the car, we're confident that the technology will sell itself,” Diamond said.


There are no charging stations inside the area's theme parks, but there are many nearby — and organizers say more charging stations are “in the works.” Renters are more likely to charge their vehicles at hotels overnight, they said.

If the car runs low on power while on the road, its dashboard screen displays the nearest charging stations. If the vehicle's battery dies entirely, then AAA will come to charge the car for free, said Lisa Martini, a spokeswoman for Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

The cars have a range of about 80 to 100 miles (about 130 to 160 kilometers) on a full charge. All of the details, including how to plug the car into a charging station, are fully explained to the renter at the Enterprise counter, said Martini.

“We want people to be comfortable with the technology,” she said.

Diamond, along with other officials, say that many people like the idea of fully electric vehicles like the Leaf or the Chevy Volt, but are worried about how far the car's battery will go.

Electric car sales are only a tiny fraction of overall U.S. auto sales. Automakers sold just over 12,000 pure-electric vehicles in the U.S. through April, according to WardsAuto InfoBank, an industry database, and Tesla Motors, which designs electric vehicles. That's fewer than 1 percent of the 4.97 million cars and trucks sold during the same period. Even a US$7,500 tax credit from the U.S. government that effectively lowers prices couldn't persuade most car buyers.

The Nissan Leaf sells for $29,650 including shipping costs, although the company does offer $199 monthly leases with $1,999 down.

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An electric car is parked at a charge point in front of city hall in Orlando, Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 4. (AP)

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