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Budget to Add Nearly 10,000 Environmentally-Friendly Vehicles To its Fleet

17 January 2000

Budget to Add Nearly 10,000 Environmentally-Friendly Vehicles To its Fleet in 2000

    Budget's WorldClass Fleet Ranges From Flexible-Fuel Sedans to Jaguars

    LISLE, Ill., Jan. 14 -- Budget Rent a Car, which offers
customers one of the most diverse rental fleets in the industry, announced
today the latest environmentally-friendly vehicle in its growing line-up of
alternative-fuel vehicles -- the flexible fuel Ford Taurus 2000.  Throughout
the year, Budget estimates that it will take delivery of nearly 10,000 Ford
Taurus sedans outfitted with flexible fuel engines.
    The 2000 flexible fuel Ford Taurus, which comes with an 18-gallon fuel
capacity, runs on either 100 percent unleaded gasoline, E85 (a blend of 85
percent environmentally responsible ethanol and 15 percent gasoline), or any
combination of the two.  A sensor automatically adjusts engine operation to
match the specific fuel composition.
    "As an innovative leader in the car rental industry, Budget is proud to be
the first to offer customers a number of unique rental options including
alternative-fuel vehicles, Ford Ranger pickups and, a long-time favorite,
Jaguars," stated Mark Sotir, president, North American Vehicle Rental
Operations.  "Our customers have come to rely on the diversity of our fleet to
meet their changing needs."
    Through a joint effort with EV Rental Cars, Budget offers electric and
natural gas vehicles to environmentally conscious renters in Los Angeles and
Sacramento.  In Europe, Budget was the first major car rental company to rent
LPG (liquid petroleum gas) vehicles throughout the United Kingdom, and since
1996 has been offering electric cars in Paris and Lyon and methane-powered
cars in Sweden.
    Budget Rent a Car Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Budget Group,
Inc. , is one of the world's top three car and truck rental systems.
The Budget system, which operates under the same name worldwide, has more
than 3,000 airport and local market locations in over 120 countries and
territories.  Budget has more than 1,000 corporate-owned and franchised
locations in the United States. Budget's WorldClass Fleet is comprised of more
than 30% specialty vehicles, ranging from sport utility vehicles, convertibles
and luxury cars to minivans, pickups and environmentally friendly vehicles.
Visit our Web site at http://www.budget.com .