Bikes & Cars...

Responding to the consumer clamor for cleaner-running vehicles, Enterprise Rent-A-Car has opened four "Green Branches" -- in Atlanta. Only. Not San Francisco, not Portland or Seattle or or any other city with a high interest in hybrids. According to a press release, this will make "renting more convenient." For people in Atlanta. Granted, they do have an awful commute down there.

One-third of the cars offered at the Green Branches will be hybrids, with another third being cars with high fuel efficiency -- above 28 mpg. The last third will presumably be cars rating closer to the national average of 20 mpg. Nationwide, Enterprise and its sister companies National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car own 4,000 hybrids and 73,000 E85-compatible cars.

Folks who live in or visit cities with E85 fueling stations can take advantage of Enterprise's partnership with GM on the Flex Fuel front. Last year, Enterprise opened eight "E85/FlexFuel" branches in the U.S., in places like Washington D.C., Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and the latest in Grapevine, Texas. Flex-Fuel renters get E85 educational materials and -- most importantly for the greenie on the go -- a map to local E85 filling stations.

Presumably, as E85 pumps make their way across the country, Enterprise will follow suit with Flex-Fuel branches. The way to get a Green Branch, though, seems to be to make some noise. Do so at Enterprise.com's contact page.

Photo by Pam C!