Hertz On Demand, the first international car share membership in Australia, enables Sydneysiders to book and drive cars out and about in Sydney by the hour or day, as well as in cities such as New York, Paris, London, Berlin, and San Francisco. Hertz On Demand may be new to Australia, but it’s a successful service already operating in six other countries, and features industry-leading in-car technology and free membership with no renewal fees.

This is fantastic news for consumers following the recent SGS Economics and Planning study, commissioned by the City of Sydney, which shows that the economic benefits of car share to City residents and businesses outweigh the costs by a ratio of 19 to one. Car share has more than tripled in Sydney over the past three years, easing traffic congestion, freeing up parking and saving residents $21 million a year*

Hertz On Demand provides a network of cars conveniently pre-parked around central Sydney in strategic locations allowing members to book a car located near their office or home and rent them by the hour or by the day. Rates start at just $6 per hour (capped at $48 per day) and are all-inclusive: car, fuel, insurance, maintenance, cleaning, eTag, roadside assist and even the first 15kms of driving are included. The cars can be booked online at www.HertzOnDemand.com.au.

Hertz On Demand provides the freedom to drive a new car whenever you want, without having to own one. Membership is free: free to join, free from annual fees, free from monthly fees, free from compulsory-commitment contracts, free from up-front security deposits or large credit-card pre-authorisations. It’s free to become a Hertz On Demand member; members only pay for the time that they drive. When they don’t drive, they don’t pay anything at all. Sydney members automatically become global members of Hertz On Demand: they use the same booking engine and ‘membership keyfob’ to drive cars in cities across the US and Europe by the hour or day.

Designed to provide a great customer experience, the cars also feature proprietary Hertz On Demand ‘in-car technology’ enabling members to manage their reservations and communicate with the Member Care Centre, hands free and 24/7 – a unique service in the industry. The Hertz On Demand cars in Sydney are equipped with air-con, cruise control, and Bluetooth and USB connectivity for streaming music.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said she was pleased to see Hertz joining the car share market in Sydney - a clear demonstration that this is a growing market. “Car share has more than tripled in Sydney over the past three years. Each car share parking space in the city replaces the need for 12 other cars. Providing more transport options for residents helps them save money and reduces congestion on our roads.” Sydney Lord Mayor continued: “Car share is a smart way of having access to a car when you need it, without the cost of buying, insuring, registering, maintaining and running a car.”

Chris Rusden, Regional Vice President and Managing Director of Hertz Australia said: “Hertz shares the City of Sydney’s commitment to car sharing and energy efficient transportation options. We are very excited to bring Hertz On Demand to Sydney, featuring state-of-the-art technology and services for people who want the convenience and comfort of a well-equipped car without the associated ownership costs. It’s also an ideal solution to replace, or complement, company fleets in order to drive down overall fleet costs. The Hertz On Demand launch in Sydney is a significant step in bringing all of Hertz' global products and services to the Australian market.” 

As well as providing car share for urban workers and dwellers, Hertz On Demand also provides vehicles equipped with proprietary fleet-management equipment for real-time, online booking and reporting tools to corporate clients to operate as pool and fleet cars.  Used overseas by businesses including PwC, London Heathrow, and Marriott Hotels, Hertz On Demand allows companies to significantly drive down overall fleet costs by improving vehicle utilisation and management along with reducing administration and overheads. Hertz On Demand can reduce companies’ fleet costs by up to 25%.

Greg Giraud, General Manager, Hertz On Demand Australia, added: “We are thrilled to provide residents of Sydney with a great car share alternative, and the business community with a complete end-to-end fleet replacement solution unique in Australia. Members will also be able to use their Australian membership in London, Paris, New York and other Hertz On Demand locations throughout the world at the click of a mouse.”

The Sydney fleet will kick-off with two vehicle types: economic Hyundai i30 hatchbacks with a 5-star ANCAP safety rating and Nissan X-Trail 2WD SUVs for when members need a bigger car with more space.

From November 15th, 2012 Hertz On Demand members will have access to a fleet of brand new cars in Sydney which they can book online a minute or a month before they want to drive through the new Hertz On Demand ‘Responsive Website’ (the site automatically reformats and resizes itself to fit the format to the device being used). They can also book with the new interactive iPhone app or by calling the dedicated Hertz On Demand Member Care Centre located here in Australia.

* For the full SGS Economics and Planning Study report go to:
http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/aboutsydney/parkingandtransport/CarShare.asp