Monday, March 10, 2008

Taking Advantage of Green?

If you've been watching TV at all recently you've probably seen the Hertz ads promoting their green fleet. Yes, you can request a hybrid when you rent a car and I decided to do just that today when putting the final touches on my preparations to head to northern California next week.

Until I discovered that a Prius (or similar) is more than $900 for the week. That's double the cost for a comparable non-hybrid. It makes me question whether Hertz cares about the envirinomental benefits of hybrids or just senses a chance to charge ultra-premium prices for a high demand vehicle.

This rental will be part business/part pleasure so I have to look at the costs. Even with gas at $4.00+ a gallon, I can't justify the Prius.

Perhaps this is just the free market. And perhaps that's the problem with free markets where cash can always trump conscience.

No comments: