Europcar Launches New and Enhanced Website

GUYANCOURT, France, Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Europcar, the European leader in passenger car and light utility vehicle rental, has announced the launch of a new, more user-friendly website designed to further enhance the customer reservation experience.

Europcar worked together with London-based Fortune Cookie, Europcar's e-commerce agency since 2008, on developing a website that will correspond to customers' need for simplified booking process and transparent information on Europcar products and offerings.

"This website was designed with the ambition to help users make the right choice quickly in a fresh and engaging brand experience," said Jehan de The, Global Marketing Director of Europcar International.

This improved user-friendly version integrates the latest technological innovations, such as automatically adapting to customers' needs by memorizing previous entries and displaying on the first page only the most frequently used elements.

The website offers a simple and fast three-step booking process with innovative maps and predictive search to help users find their locations easily. When looking for a station, it is enough to type three letters and a list of suggested rental stations appears. In addition, the new website features an interactive Google Map which allows customers to easily locate the nearest Europcar rental station or calculate their itinerary to the arriving point.

Vehicle information is clearly and attractively presented; including extras and flexible pricing options. More information on the car can be obtained by opening a pop-in window, while remaining on the initial page. Extras can be added or deducted up to the last moment before the payment. As car accessories are being selected, the price is automatically calculated and is visible on the same page. Furthermore, customers can now choose their car not only based on price or size, but also based on CO2 emissions reflecting Europcar's commitment to "caring for the Earth".

Once the payment is completed, a location map of the car rental station appears on the payment confirmation page to help the customer plan his/her itinerary to and from the chosen station. This map is also sent to the customer's e-mail address. The rate information can also be sent by e-mail to 1 address.

Customers gain time with every visit on the Europcar website. The new features include an option for the customers to create and update their profile and preferences, to put in the criteria of their Frequent Voyager Card and gain benefits. The research parameters are also saved for seven days, facilitating the customer's next visit. The online renting experience is further enhanced with a car rental FAQ section answering many questions that Europcar customers may have, which guides them during and after the reservation process.

"We believe that renting a car online should be a great experience. To achieve this, we tested our work throughout the process with sophisticated user-testing technologies to ensure that we were creating an experience that would meet their needs," said Justin Cooke, CEO of Fortune Cookie.

About Europcar

Europcar is the European leader in passenger car and light utility vehicle rentals. The company serves business and leisure customers throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Excluding franchise operations, in 2009 Europcar signed 9.5 million rental contracts, with 7,000 employees and a fleet exceeding 190,000 rental vehicles. In September 2008, Europcar and U.S. market leader Enterprise Holdings joined forces in a strategic commercial alliance to form the world's largest car rental network, with more than 1.2 million vehicles and 13,000 locations around the world. Europcar is owned by the French investment company Eurazeo.

Europcar is the European market leader and is also leading in its environmental approach to car rental. It opened its first "environmental agency" in Paris in 1999, and in 2008 it was the first company in Europe to have its "Environmental Charter" - which formalizes its commitments in favor of sustainable development - certified by Bureau Veritas.

For more information: http://www.europcar.com/corporate

SOURCE Europcar