Enterprise to buy 500 Nissan Leaf cars

Enterprise Rent-A-Car said Tuesday it plans to buy 500 electric cars from Nissan starting in January 2011.

Enterprise plans to spend an estimated $12.8 million on its new electric vehicle fleet. Each Nissan LEAF retails for about $33,000, but Enterprise will receive a $7,500 federal tax credit per vehicle, said Lisa Martini, a company spokeswoman.

The St. Louis-based car rental giant said it will initially roll out the Nissan LEAFs, which use no gasoline and do not produce greenhouse gas emissions, in eight markets: Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz.; Knoxville and Nashville, Tenn.; San Diego; Los Angeles; Portland, Ore.; and Seattle.

[Source & read more: St. Louis Business Journal]