Imperial College London has joined forces with rental car provider, Hertz, to provide its staff and students with low-carbon and electric vehicles. Over 3,000 staff and 13,500 students can now rent a car from Hertz by the hour, helping to reduce vehicle congestion on the South Kensington and Ascot campuses through shared vehicle use. This forms part of the University's strategy to reduce its carbon emissions. An Imperial College London spokesperson said: 'Using Hertz 24/7 vehicles as our employee pool cars is reducing our reliance on taxis and personal vehicles for business trips between campuses. "Membership is free and is available to staff and students, including our 300 clubs and societies, for private use outside working hours, providing a convenient and cost-effective alternative to traditional car use.î The campuses low-carbon fleet includes a Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi, an automatic Kia Rio, an all-electric Mitsubishi IMiEV and a VW Golf Blue Motion 1.6 TDCi. Students and staff can book the vehicles to hire online, by telephone or via their mobile, using an intelligent smartphone app. Members are provided with one-touch access to a member care centre through an in-car, hands-free telecoms system, with RFID technology allowing keyless entry to any vehicle. All Hertz 24/7 rentals across the UK include 20 free miles, congestion charge, maintenance, cleaning and VAT, with rates starting at around £5.50 per hour. Hertz also currently offers the 24/7 service to Reading University and Brunel University.
