Starting today, getting the full Orlando experience can include renting a Nissan Leaf. A new program, Drive Electric Orlando, is promoting itself as "the nation's first large scale electric car initiative for tourists," 57 million of which visit the city each year.
Orlando's a good place to promote electric cars, writes the Orlando Sentinal, because the theme parks, convention center and hotels are all tightly clustered, well within the Leaf's 100-mile range. And the city is already equipped with 300 charging stations.
The plan is to make the cars seem like a fun thing to try out, right along with the other thrill rides. Customers get free charging across the city, and some hotels offer extra perks like valet parking. But ultimately, the program sees itself as an "extended test drive" for future customers, who might decide to take this aspect of their vacation home with them.
So far, there are only 15 cars available to rent through Enterprise, but Chevy, which makes the electric Volt, just signed on as a partner.
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