Hertz Rent a Car Completes Acquisition of Franchise Locations in Czech Republic and Slovakia

Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:HTZ - News) announced that its Hertz Rent a Car (RAC) brand in Europe has acquired the vehicle rental businesses of its franchise partner Rentex Autopujcovna a.s. in the Czech Republic and of Rentex's subsidiary Car Solutions s.r.o. in Slovakia. The move provides Hertz, the leading general use car rental brand, with a strong corporate foothold in Central and Eastern Europe.

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Many factors contribute to total cost of vehicles

A cheaper car can cost you more in the long run than a more expensive model, so consider how much that model will cost you to own. Consumer Reports says these factors contribute to total cost:

• Depreciation. This is a vehicle's loss in value over a defined period. Some vehicles depreciate faster than others because of oversupply, limited appeal or rebates on similar new models.

• Fuel costs. They can really add up, especially for SUVs. You could pay more than $10,000 to fill up a Dodge Nitro over five years, for example, while a more efficient RAV4 would cost $2,000 less.

• Interest. To obtain an estimate, assume a 15 percent down payment and use the average interest rate of 6.86 percent as reported by Bankrate.com in December to estimate the total charge.



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Environmental & Energy

There has been a recent push by both public and private sectors to introduce new initiatives to combat and adapt to climate change; however, adapting to climate change involves more than simply changing a light bulb or buying a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Climate change is affecting the way in which we do business, particularly as industry braces for new environmental legislation, shareholders demand greater action on climate change, and more stringent disclosure standards are introduced. A heightened awareness of climate change issues is generating increased interest in how organizations manage their carbon footprint, which is leading to increased interest in the opportunities and risks associated with climate change.... .



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Gulf blazing a trail

MANAMA: The Gulf is leading a revolution in the motorsport industry which will see high-profile new race circuits go hand in hand with hi-tech initiatives in areas such as energy conservation, the chairman of top luxury car brand Aston Martin said yesterday.

In a keynote address on the first day of the Motor Sport Business Forum Middle East in Bahrain, David Richards praised the countries of the region for the billions of dollars they have spent on infrastructure in recent years and hailed countries like the kingdom for realising the challenge was to build sustainable automotive industry to accompany their new circuits.

"The business model of a race circuit that could stand on its own and just be isolated and run a motor race without anything else around it is gone forever," he said.


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Smaller cars and bigger savings

While smaller, more fuel efficient cars are a hit in the U.P, trucks aren't going anywhere just yet. By Heather SawaskiPosted: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 at 10:24 p.m.

MARQUETTE -- As gas prices continue to soar and budgets are tightly squeezed, many of us are starting to steer toward more economical ways to get from Point A to Point B.

"Small car sales are very strong right now without a doubt," says Jim Grundstrom of Frei Chevrolet in Marquette. "They're actually very challenging to get from General Motors, because the demand is high across the country."

However, Grundstrom says don't write off the larger vehicles just yet. He says 57 percent of his monthly sales are still trucks and SUVs and attributes this to consumer needs here in the U.P. Many motorists tend to want vehicles that can haul things, like trailers; and with such long winters, the four-wheel drive does come in handy.



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One-stop service for accident claims - good move?

Former F1 champion Mika Hakkinen took a Mercedes McLaren F1 car for a spin down St Andrew's Road during the launch of an anti-drink driving campaign on Sunday. He said later that Singapore's street circuit night race would pose unique challenges for drivers. -- PHOTO: AP » Full Story .



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Article Of The Week | The War Against Scientology

I wanted a new car equipped with all the bells and whistles. Tod needed something more practical for his wife and new baby. Dwayne wanted a more fast and furious car. And Mauricio needed something a bit more rugged and roomier. With this in mind, sales associate Fermin Trompeta at Pearson Honda in Midlothian assisted us in determining which Honda would best suit our very different lifestyles. Framin took us one by one and asked us questions that helped narrow down his search. We were then allowed to test-drive a car that Framin specially selected for each one of us. I test drove a Civic Coupe; Tod drove an Odyssey; Dwayne, a Si sedan and Mauricio, an Element. Continue reading and find out what we felt about our rides. —Isabel Ramos

Isabel's Civic Coupe I volunteered to be the first potential buyer; mainly, because I was eager to test drive the upgraded Civic Coupe.



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