Philadelphia, PA, April 18, 2001 -- Budget EV Rental Cars, a joint effort between EV Rental Cars and Budget Rent a Car Corporation, will introduce today Honda Civic GX natural gas vehicles for rental at Philadelphia International Airport and will soon expand to offer Toyota Prius and Honda Insight hybrid-electric vehicles. This location and a new location in Pittsburgh represent PennsylvaniaÕs first environmental vehicle rental fleet and the first in the Eastern United States.

ÒWeÕre excited to make Pennsylvania our first Eastern U.S. rental location and to announce it in Philadelphia, a great city of historic Ôfirsts,ÕÓ said Terry OÕDay, vice president, EV Rental Cars. ÒOur customers throughout the West have found these vehicles to be a reliable, smart choice for those concerned about the environment and the high cost of gasoline, or for those interested in new technology.Ó

Philadelphia International Airport and the Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities Program have been working to promote alternative fuel use at the airport and throughout the region. ÒPhiladelphia International Airport is proud to be part of the Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities Program as an alternative fuel user,Ó stated Charles J. Isdell, Jr., director of aviation for the city.

ÒWe applaud Budget EV Rental CarsÕ effort to provide natural gas vehicles for rental at the Airport,Ó added Isdell. According to Clean Cities, natural gas vehicles in the Philadelphia region now total more than 700 and are served by a network of 20 fueling stations. PECO Energy operates a majority of the public-access stations. The Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) provides inner city refueling support with two stations.

Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities Chairperson, Michelle Knapik, noted the partnership with Budget EV Rental Cars furthers the goals of Clean Cities by directly reducing mobile source emissions while developing the market for alternative fueled vehicles. ÒClean Cities is pleased to see economic development that will contribute to a healthier climate in Philadelphia, and our members are proud to welcome a business that will offer business travelers and visitors clean transportation options," stated Knapik.

According to OÕDay, EV Rental Cars was attracted to Pennsylvania because of the stateÕs innovative environmental policies. PennsylvaniaÕs Department of Environmental Protection has supported the companyÕs purchase of hybrid electric vehicles, and the Clean Cities Coalitions in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh supported the natural gas vehicle purchases.

"Expanding this program to the East Coast further demonstrates how we lead the industry in offering successful environmental vehicle rental options," said Mark Sotir, president, Budget Rent a Car Corporation. To commemorate the launch, a natural gas vehicle will be driven from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh to demonstrate the vehicleÕs practicality and the adequacy of the fueling infrastructure throughout Pennsylvania. The ÒClean Across PennsylvaniaÓ drive will stop in Harrisburg to refuel and arrive in Pittsburgh on Friday. Stakeholders in the Clean Cities Coalition include representatives from local public and private organizations, including PECO Energy Company and PGW as operators of the local natural gas vehicle refueling infrastructure. The program serves as a clearinghouse for information about alternative fuel vehicle rebates and incentives, industry news, and regulatory updates. Clean Cities and State grant monies for alternative fuels programs are now widely available.

The Honda Civic GX is considered the cleanest internal combustion vehicle in the world. Sixty-four Honda Civic GXs produce less total emissions than just one conventional midsize vehicle. The cars run on compressed natural gas, a domestic fuel that burns much cleaner than gasoline. EV Rental Cars projects that when the fleet reaches its full size this summer, the program will prevent as much as 2-3 tons of air pollution per year.

The Toyota Prius and Honda Insight each achieve fuel economy ratings of 60 to 70 miles per gallon, and can travel up to 700 miles without refueling, saving rental customers fuel costs. In addition, the local cost for a gallon of natural gas ranges from only $1.08 to $1.30. The daily rates of the vehicles are also comparable to conventional vehicles in the same car class.

EV Rental Cars is the first and only company in the United States that rents only environmental vehicles to the general public. The company has ten locations with Budget Rent a Car Corporation in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Palm Springs, Burbank, Ontario, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. Since the company began renting vehicles in December 1998, it has accumulated more than two million miles on its environmental vehicle fleet, served over 13,000 customers, and directly prevented more than 10 tons of air pollution.
Budget Rent a Car Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Budget Group, Inc. (NYSE: BD), is one of the worldÕs top three car and truck rental systems. The Budget system, which operates under the same name worldwide, has more than 3,200 airport and local market locations in over 120 countries and territories. Budget has nearly 1,000 corporate-owned and franchised locations in the United States. The Budget WorldClass Fleet is comprised of more than 30 percent specialty vehicles, ranging from sport utility vehicles, convertibles and luxury cars to minivans, pickups and environmentally friendly vehicles.