Avis Budget Group Inc. has started utilizing a new fuel measurement/billing system as part of a pilot project. Part of the company’s commitment to be customer led and service driven, the initiative is being tested in select vehicles and locations across the northeastern United States, Hawaii and Washington, says Avis.

The new technology measures a vehicle's fuel level at the time and point of exit and return in one-tenth of a gallon increments. In comparison, Avis’ historical practice has involved looking at the fuel gauge and measuring fuel usage in one-eighth of a tank increments.

"Rental vehicles are generally provided to customers with a full tank of gasoline, and renters are asked to return the vehicle in the same condition,” said Tom Gartland, president, North America, Avis Budget Group. “If and when customers return vehicles to us with less gas than they left with, we impose a per-gallon charge for the missing gas and the refueling service we provide. This new technology allows us to be more transparent and precise in the fuel measurement process. In fact, should there be more gasoline in the tank at the time of return than at checkout, the system will record it and a credit to the customer will be issued."

According to Avis, the new fuel system automatically measures and records the precise amount of gas in the tank at the time the customer exits the Avis or Budget rental facility. Then it measures and records the fuel level again when the vehicle is returned. Both readings are printed on the customer's rental receipt when the vehicle is returned.

Through this method, customers can clearly see exactly how much fuel they are being charged for and the amount of such a charge. Currently, no charge is assessed if a customer's fuel usage is less than four-tenths of a gallon, says Avis.