Nation's First Retail-Driven Program to Promote Energy Efficiency
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., April 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AutoNation, Inc.
(NYSE: AN), America's largest automotive retailer, has announced that on April
10, 2007, the company will launch its E-Vehicle program. The program is
designed to promote greater consumer awareness of fuel-efficient vehicles by
identifying those cars and trucks available online and in-store that have
exceptional energy efficiency. To qualify, vehicles must produce at least 28
miles-per-gallon or deliver 10% better fuel efficiency than the average for
their vehicle class. AutoNation has partnered with Edmunds.com to identify
qualifying vehicles and ensure that the fullest range of vehicles is
represented.
"We want to increase consumer awareness of the number of fuel efficient
vehicles we offer," said Mike Jackson, chairman and CEO of AutoNation. "Our
E-Vehicle program lets them know in as direct a way as possible which vehicles
satisfy specific efficiency standards. We hope that this increased exposure
will help consumers become more aware of vehicles that contribute to making us
less dependent on foreign oil, which is an issue of national security."
Under the program, every car and truck for sale at an AutoNation
dealership or listed on AutoNation.com that meets the E-Vehicle standards will
be marked with a green, leaf-shaped E-Vehicle logo, and there will be an
accompanying checklist displaying the particular efficiency criteria that it
satisfies.
"In today's time-pressed world, car-shoppers will appreciate that
AutoNation is making it easy to see which vehicles achieve the best fuel
economy," commented Edmunds.com president Jeremy Anwyl. "This program is
likely to generate a great deal of interest, especially as gas prices continue
their seasonal climb."
In addition to these green-labeled E-Vehicles, AutoNation will also be
identifying what it calls "F-Vehicles" with a yellow leaf logo. These are cars
and trucks that make use of flex fuel or ethanol-based technology. AutoNation
believes that promoting the greater consumption of renewable and alternative
energy sources will motivate energy companies to more aggressively pursue the
production and distribution of non-fossil-based fuels, a critical component of
a more responsible energy policy.
This is not AutoNation's first effort to promote more responsible energy
consumption. In August of 2006, AutoNation became the first automotive
retailer to join with Plug-In-Hybrids Partners to promote fuel efficiency and
advance technologies.
AutoNation offer E-Vehicles in all classes and across all price ranges.
Among the most in-demand models are the Toyota Prius, the Honda Civic Hybrid,
the midsize Chevy Malibu and the Mercedes-Benz Diesel. Best in class E-
Vehicles include the Toyota Tacoma pick-up, the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV and the
Dodge Grand Caravan minivan. For a complete listing of E-Vehicles available,
customers are encouraged to visit AutoNation.com, which currently displays
over 80,000 vehicles online in an effort to appeal to the 70% of customers who
use the Internet as part of the purchase process.
AutoNation was recently named by FORTUNE magazine as America's most
admired automotive retailer in a poll of industry insiders, executives and
analysts -- the fifth time in six years that the company has been so honored.
AutoNation is also ranked #115 on FORTUNE magazine's list of America's 500
largest corporations and is the only retailer to hold a position in the S&P
500 index. More information is available online at http://www.autonation.com.
ABOUT AUTONATION, INC.
AutoNation, Inc., headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is America's
largest automotive retailer and a component of the Standard and Poor's 500
Index. AutoNation has approximately 26,000 full-time employees and owns and
operates 327 new vehicle franchises in 16 states. For additional information,
please visit http://corp.AutoNation.com or http://www.AutoNation.com, where
more than 80,000 vehicles are available for sale.
SOURCE AutoNation, Inc.
CONTACT:
Marc Cannon of AutoNation, Inc.
+1-954-769-3146
or
[email protected]