VERC Car Rental adds 200 hybrids to its fleet

Aug. 7, 2012 - PRLog -- VERC Car Rental today announced the addition of 200 Toyota hybrid vehicles to its car rental fleet.

Jack Vercollone, founder and President of the firm that has served the South Shore region since 1979, said that his firm invested more than $4.5 million to make this change, viewed as innovative in the industry. In all, there will be 150 Toyota Priuses, rated at a fuel economy of more than 50 miles per gallon, as well as 50 Toyota Camry hybrids, rated at more than 40 miles per gallon. The 200 vehicles will comprise the vast majority of its compact and full sized classes, but slightly less than half of the company’s total inventory of more than 400 vehicles.

Vercollone said that his firm has made this investment to help distinguish itself in the marketplace, as well as to help motorists with the rising cost of fuel and to help the environment. “We are responding directly to our customers’ feedback. For the past two years, we have had as many as 50 hybrids on our fleet. We believe that the public is now more interested in going hybrid. It’s not just about rising gasoline prices; people are genuinely concerned about the environment.”

The vast majority of the VERC Car Rental compact and full-sized cars are hybrids. In fact, VERC Car Rental is believed to have the largest percentage of hybrids in its fleet for any car rental company in the United States. The remainder of their inventory includes Mustang Convertibles, 15 passenger vans, wheelchair accessible vans, moving vans, and three classes of SUVs and premium cars.

Vercollone said that his company has made strategic choices to distinguish itself in the marketplace. “As a local independent car rental company, we are the David versus the Goliath,” he said, adding, “We need to offer a better product at a better price than the national brands,” he said. One way they have sought to accomplish this is to offer the hybrids at lower rates than major brands charge for similar-sized cars. “The hybrids costs 25% more than a similar sized non-hybrid vehicle, but we do not pass that cost along to our customers,” he said. He added, “As a local independent, we have generally managed to keep our prices and costs lower across the board anyway.”

VERC Car Rental is also one of the very few rental agencies in the region that rents 15 passenger vans and wheelchair accessible vans.




He noted further than his firm will not charge additionally for the rental of a hybrid, as some other companies do. Rental prices begin as low as $29.99 daily.

This year, as the company celebrates its 32nd year in business, he said that he sought to make the change to make a stronger commitment to fuel economy. “We encourage people to drive fuel-efficient cars, and we have had great luck with hybrids. We are pleased to be one of the largest independently owned car rental facilities with this commitment to energy efficiency. We’re the local company that acts globally,” Vercollone said.

About VERC Car Rental
VERC Car Rental has a thirty-two year history of serving the rental needs of the South Shore and Eastern Massachusetts.  The company saw its beginnings in 1979 under the name Low Budget Rentals.  In 1990, Jack Vercollone became the company’s sole owner, changing the name to VERC Rentals, and in 2012 changed the name to VERC Car Rental.  Today, the company operates in seven locations, including Plymouth, Marshfield, Quincy, Norwell, Rockland, Weymouth, and Middleborough.  Client base includes retail customers, auto body specialty shops, insurance firms, automobile dealerships and corporate customers.  In addition, the company provides vehicles for a number of civic and private industry ventures.  VERC Car Rental is the largest family-owned, independent automobile rental facility in Massachusetts.  Both long and short-term rental contracts are available.  Corporate headquarters are located on Route 44, Plymouth, MA 02360.  For additional information on VERC Car Rental or its services, call (800) 696-VERC (8372) or visit the company website at www.verc.com.