Hertz's Jack Hidary thinks in LEAF-fuls. Last night took two LEAF-fuls of individuals related to Silicon Valley (venture capitalists, journalists and other business folks) to dinner at a remote Swiss chalet. The post-dinner conversation? Probably all about EVs. Through Hertz, Hidary is collaborating with B-2-B and B-2-C ventures that span three continents in the cities of New York, San Fransciso, London, Paris, Shanghai and Beijing. He's waiting for his LEAF orders to get all locations up and running.
Yesterday was the first full day of test drives and rides in the Nissan LEAF and Renault Fluence Z.E. Calling Gilles on the number printed on the Alliance card, people came to the Hub and were able to experience zero emissions in a 10-minute loop around Davos. Riders from Bloomberg, the International Monetary Fund, Boston-Power and others (still no sign of President Clinton) talked with Gilles and Hidetoshi Kadota, Nissan's chief vehicle engineer, about the technology and its potential to change the automobile industry. A former Nissan senior manager who now handles global communications for Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan stopped by for a ride.
His reaction? Hopefully good enough to convince the Prime Minister to take a spin later in the week.
Today the Alliance has a surprise with the International Herald Tribune to get the word out in Davos: "The Renault-Nissan Alliance spent $5 billion and the result is zero." Punchy? Yes, and accurate. Zero fuel, zero emissions and zero trouble. A pretty good bargain for peace of mind.