Demand for gas-and-electric-powered vehicles is growing at rent-a-car companies across the country, industry insiders say.
A growing number of users are choosing "hybrid" vehicles because they are more energy efficient than ordinary cars and they emit less greenhouse gas as people are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of preventing global warming.
Nippon Rent-A-Car Service, a major rent-a-car company, has increased its number of hybrid cars more than five fold to about 800 over the past six months.
The company launched a new service for renting hybrid cars, called "Eco Class," in April. The rental fee for a Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid in the Eco Class service ranges from 11,025 to 11,550 yen per 24 hours during peak season, about 500 yen higher than the fee for ordinary vehicles of similar sizes.
However, if a user travels 200 kilometers in a hybrid car, about 8 liters of gasoline can be saved, and the price difference can be easily made up for as gasoline prices are now around 180 yen per liter.
The operating rate of hybrid cars at the firm exceeded 70 percent from April to June, and such vehicles are almost fully reserved on weekends.
Orix Auto Corp. will launch a hybrid car discount campaign in Hokkaido on Friday. The normal price for renting a gas-and-electric-powered car -- 14,700 yen for a 24-hour period -- will be slashed to between 10,000 and 12,000 yen.
The company is set to increase the number of its hybrid vehicles to 450 by March 2009, nearly twice the number in summer last year.
Toyota Rent A Car also increased its number of Prius cars by about 50 percent over the past year to 3,600. Despite the increase, their operation rate remains high.
A growing number of users are choosing "hybrid" vehicles because they are more energy efficient than ordinary cars and they emit less greenhouse gas as people are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of preventing global warming.
Nippon Rent-A-Car Service, a major rent-a-car company, has increased its number of hybrid cars more than five fold to about 800 over the past six months.
The company launched a new service for renting hybrid cars, called "Eco Class," in April. The rental fee for a Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid in the Eco Class service ranges from 11,025 to 11,550 yen per 24 hours during peak season, about 500 yen higher than the fee for ordinary vehicles of similar sizes.
However, if a user travels 200 kilometers in a hybrid car, about 8 liters of gasoline can be saved, and the price difference can be easily made up for as gasoline prices are now around 180 yen per liter.
The operating rate of hybrid cars at the firm exceeded 70 percent from April to June, and such vehicles are almost fully reserved on weekends.
Orix Auto Corp. will launch a hybrid car discount campaign in Hokkaido on Friday. The normal price for renting a gas-and-electric-powered car -- 14,700 yen for a 24-hour period -- will be slashed to between 10,000 and 12,000 yen.
The company is set to increase the number of its hybrid vehicles to 450 by March 2009, nearly twice the number in summer last year.
Toyota Rent A Car also increased its number of Prius cars by about 50 percent over the past year to 3,600. Despite the increase, their operation rate remains high.
