WASHINGTON – The Hertz Corp. said it is expanding the company’s global EV initiative to Washington, D.C., adding all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles such as the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf to its Union Station fleet.

"As the leading provider of mobility solutions, we are able to offer the best car sharing program in the world, a no-fee program that allows members to use a car on a one-way basis, including access to electric vehicles on a global scale," said Mark P. Frissora, Hertz chairman and CEO. "Washington, D.C., a major transportation hub in the northeast corridor, is a natural city for Hertz Global EV, and we look forward to helping move the 'electrification of transportation' dialog from policy to practice in D.C. -- building awareness and interest in EVs and PHEVs among the city's residents."

The electric vehicle (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) Hertz fleet in Washington will serve a testing ground for consumers as automakers ramp up production to achieve the goal of becoming the first country to have 1 million EVs on the road by 2015. The first vehicles will be located at Union Station, blocks from Capitol.

To book an available EV, consumers must sign up for a free Hertz car sharing membership at www.connectbyhertz.com. Hertz car sharing has approximately 30,000 members and is available in six countries and on 54 university campuses.

Hertz plans to deploy EVs and PHEVs in both the U.S. and other countries throughout 2011. As part of its strategy, Hertz is forming partnerships with automakers, charging station providers, municipalities, NGOs, corporations and other stakeholders. To date, the company has ordered vehicles from GM, Nissan, Toyota and Mitsubishi, and has signed an agreement with NRG Energy Inc. to support development of a charging infrastructure and services for electric vehicles in Texas.

During the next several months, Hertz Global EV will leverage the company's rental and car sharing locations as bases for vehicles and charging stations, and tap into its technology -- including sophisticated fleet management tools and the consumer-facing NeverLost GPS system -- to help form an EV grid.

For more information, visit www.hertz.com or www.connectbyhertz.com.