September 3, 1999

CELEBRITIES TO COMPETE IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES
FOR FIRST TIME AT THE L.A. STREET RACES

Budget EV Rental Cars, the first and only rental company to offer environmental vehicles to the public, has announced it will supply Ford Ranger EV trucks for the Ford EV Ranger Challenge at the L.A. Street Races scheduled for September 4-6.

(Los Angeles) - Professional and celebrity race car drivers will steer 10 Ford Ranger EV trucks, which is the firsttime an electric vehicle has competed on the tracks. The special exhibition races are scheduled for Saturday, September 4 at 9:15 a.m., Sunday, September 5 at noon and Monday, September 6 at 9:55 a.m.

Confirmed drivers include American IndyCar Series drivers Kevin Corso and Larry Mason; NASCAR drivers Ron Hornaday, Chad Little, Mark Martin and Mario Hernandez; professional fighter Randy Shields; Avengers football owner Casey Wasserman; Actor Dennis Haskins, who plays Mr. Belding on the new "Saved by the Bell"; Actor Greg Vaughan from the hit-series "Charmed"; Lisa Guerrero, local sportscaster and Jane Yamamoto, special assignment reporter from KTTV-TV; and race organizer Dr. William A. Burke. Political figures including Councilman Mark Ridley Thomas and Lillian Kawasaki, general manager of the Environmental Affairs Department in Los Angeles, will also join the competition. The trucks are sponsored by Ford Motor Co., Junior Achievement, CalStart, DWP and Edison.

"We are pleased to participate in the races as it will allow us to generate added exposure for the use of environmental vehicles," said EV Rental Cars President Jeff Pink. "Hopefully, this will lead to greater interest in the benefits of alternative fuel transport and help to improve the air quality in Southern California."

Budget EV Rental Cars is a joint effort between EV Rental Cars and Budget Rent a Car Corporation. Since 1998, EV Rental Cars has been committed to providing commuters with an alternative rental car choice and addressing air quality issues. With the support of Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, and Congressman Ron Packard, EV Rental Cars plans to open additional locations in California this fall. Based at Budget's Los Angeles International Airport location, the company maintains a fleet of more than 40 vehicles. For more information, customers can call (877) 387-3682; write to EV Rental Cars at 9775 Airport Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045; or visit the company's Web site at www.EVrental.com.