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Article: Beefing up the green fleet ; Taking advantage of increased supply, car rental firms expand hybrid offerings
- Article from:
- The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)
- Article date:
- May 30, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2009 The Boston Globe. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Even as the recession and lower gas prices have chilled demand
for hybrid vehicles, many car rental companies are adding to their
fleets of Priuses and other gas-electric cars to lure a growing
number of city dwellers attracted by high-mileage and "green"
appeal.
After last summer's record-high gas prices, when there were
waiting lists for Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius, hybrid sales in the
United States this year were down 39 percent through April,
according to data firm IHS Global Insight of Lexington. Sales of the
Prius were off by even more - 49 percent.
But rental companies are taking advantage of the lower demand,
which is making the cars easier to get. For instance, last month,
Zipcar ...