First All Electric Rental Cars Come To Maui

2011 Nissan Leaf all-electric vehicles are available for renting on Maui. Photo courtesy of Bio-Beetle.

By Sonia Isotov

The Maui-based Bio-Beetle ECO Car Rental company located in Kahului has expanded its business to include all-electric vehicles.

Bio-Beetle is adding the 2011 Nissan Leaf to its rental fleet, which already contains the Toyota Prius hybrid, the biodiesel Volkswagen Beetles and Jettas, and the biodiesel Jeep Liberty. The 2011 Nissan Leaf is a 100% electric, plug-in vehicle.

“By offering the Leaf electric car in our fleet, Bio-Beetle continues its policy of offering the most environmentally friendly rental cars in the world” said Shaun Stenshol, president of Bio-Beetle, in a statement yesterday.

“With an EPA fuel efficiency rating of 92-109 MPGe, the Leaf is the most fuel efficient car sold in the United States.” The term miles per gallon gasoline equivalent (MPGe or MPGge) is a measure of distance traveled per unit of energy consumption; energy  content equivalent to that of a gallon of gasoline. More details about this electric rental car can be seen at www.evcarrentals.com.

Bio-Beetle opened its doors in January 2003 as the first rental car company in the world to rent only biodiesel vehicles to the public.

Besides using biodiesel, Bio-Beetle is committed to broader environmental protection. For instance, no toxic chemicals are used to clean the cars and 100% recycled paper is used in the office. Recycling is encouraged and there are many items available for to loan to customers for free, such as coolers, boogies, reusable shopping bags, and more.