Get the latest insight and opinion into the car & truck rental industry straight from executive editor Chris Brown. Chris covers all aspects of the rental world, including vehicle remarketing, rental industry news, car rental taxation and legislation as well as automotive environmental initiatives and trends.
After five years and 15,000 miles of driving per year, are there any hybrids that actually have a lower cost of ownership than their gas-engine counterparts? One unexpected vehicle takes the prize.
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By Chris Brown | Posted @ Friday, February 3, 2012 12:00 AM | »
The federal government means business with its new law banning cell phone use while driving commercial vehicles. Can the laws go even further, and how should fleets react?
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By Chris Brown | Posted @ Thursday, January 26, 2012 12:00 AM | »
Arizona is one of a super minority of states in which auto rental companies are required by statute to pay for the negligent acts of their renters. Look for new legislation in the coming weeks that proposes to change that.
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By Chris Brown | Posted @ Wednesday, January 18, 2012 12:00 AM | »
The theft of exotic cars due to lack of proper security controls brings up insurance, liability and quality concerns regarding the peer-to-peer model. Sometimes it’s not so smart to cut out the middleman.
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By Chris Brown | Posted @ Monday, January 9, 2012 12:00 AM | »
What roles will independent car rental companies, car dealers and car-sharing technology play in the car rental industry in 2012? And will Hertz deal anew for a Dollar Thrifty merger?
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By Chris Brown | Posted @ Monday, December 19, 2011 12:00 AM | »

The workhorse van is being phased out in the coming years in favor of the Transit. The move speaks to the “Europeanization” of the North American van market. Start “right spec’ing” now.
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By Chris Brown | Posted @ Thursday, December 8, 2011 12:00 AM | »

I know I’m getting cantankerous in my old age, but don’t get me started about things like keyless start, backup cameras and “instant” fuel economy.
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By Chris Brown | Posted @ Wednesday, December 7, 2011 12:00 AM | »
The U.S. car rental industry’s $22.4 billion in revenues for 2011 is an industry record. Here’s a closer look at the numbers.
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By Chris Brown | Posted @ Wednesday, November 30, 2011 12:00 AM | »

This year’s show features a new flagship sedan for Cadillac, a premium sedan from Hyundai, a slew of compact crossovers and rumblings of a new horsepower war.
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By Chris Brown | Posted @ Thursday, November 17, 2011 12:00 AM | »
In a year in which the industry increased its overall score for the second year in a row, an independent takes the prize.
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By Chris Brown | Posted @ Tuesday, November 15, 2011 12:00 AM | »