Hertz and the city of Miami Beach announced Jan. 17 the first city-sponsored car sharing partnership in Florida, according to a company press release. Hertz on Demand (www.HertzOnDemand.com) was chosen as the car-sharing service, which becomes available to Miami Beach area residents and visitors beginning Jan. 24.

Miami-area residents and tourists can sign up online and reserve cars which can be picked up from one of Hertz On Demand's hubs and experience the enhanced member benefits offered by the Hertz car-sharing club, including:

• Free membership. Hertz On Demand has no enrollment fee or annual membership fee, and offers low hourly and daily rates.
• No late fees. Hertz On Demand members will not receive punitive charges/late fees for the late return of a vehicle.
• Rental fleet options include the Nissan Sentra, Nissan Versa and Chevrolet Camaro, Impala, Captiva and Equinox. Hertz On Demand also plans to add electric vehicles, such as the Nissan Leaf, to its fleet in the coming weeks.
• 180 miles a day, gas and insurance are included in the rates.
• Daily rates on Hertz rental cars for longer trips; ability to rent a car for up to 30 days.
• 24/7 live, in-car assistance from a team of Hertz Member Care experts.

Hertz On Demand is starting with five parking locations and 20 vehicles in Miami Beach with plans to expand in the future.

"We're continually making improvements to parking, transportation and mobility — an important factor to our community's quality of life," said Miami Beach City Manager Jorge M. Gonzalez. "The shared-car program will integrate with other alternative modes of transportation such as transit and bicycle-sharing programs facilitating mobility throughout the city."

Hertz On Demand has approximately 114,000 members, is available in six countries and on approximately 60 university campuses.