By - Carla Martinez
The Desert Sun December 15th, 2000

PALM SPRINGS -- A rental-car company that specializes in alternative-energy vehicles has made Palm Springs the sixth city in the state where the cars are available.

Budget EV Rental Cars, a partnership between Environmental Vehicle Rental Cars and Budget Rent A Car Corp., made available Thursday low-emission and fuel-efficient cars at the Palm Springs International Airport.

Some of the models have familiar names.

The Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra and the Ford Crown Victoria all make appearances in special models that have been certified as Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicles by the government.

Under the hood, electric engines and engines that run on natural gas are responsible for their efficiency and environmental responsibility.

The Toyota Prius, a different sort of vehicle, called a hybrid, has an engine that is powered by an energy mix of electricity and gasoline.

"We know there's a market for the cars," EV Rental Director of Operations Terry O'Day said.

The Prius is a slightly different driving experience than a regular car. Turning the Prius' ignition, the silent start offers no clues the car is ready to go.

But once on the road, it shifts seamlessly between its electrical and conventional energy sources, and becomes a familiar driving experience.

And customers have responded favorably, O'Day said.

When the brakes are used to slow the Prius down, it generates energy that charges the electrical battery.

At low speeds, the car runs on electricity. At high speeds it runs on gas. And in between speeds, it gradually shifts between the two.

You never have to charge it up, O'Day said. You just put gas in it.

The Prius can be driven for up to 600 miles before the gas tank is emptied and
can reach speeds of 105 mph.

An added perk is that the vehicle is eligible for the car-pool lane even with only one person occupying it, O'Day said.

Having the cars available for rent heightens the publics awareness of environmental issues, Gail Lee, Los Angeles's general manager at EV Rental, said.

Budget EV Rental Cars have been available in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Ontario, Sacramento and Phoenix.

And since the Palm Springs International Airport is going to see an increase in activity right before the holidays and continuing until summer, many more people will be able to take the vehicles for a spin, EV Rentals special project manager Tami Larsen said.

We're here just in time for the busy season, Larsen said.