Maya 300 All-Electric Car. Photo courtesy Electrovaya’s Maya 300.

Ten Maya 300 electric cars will be made available for rent at the Maryland Science Center beginning August 2009. Here are some highlights of the Maryland Science Center Maya 300 electric cars renting program:

• This is the nation’s first electric car sharing and car rental program.
• The Maya 300 is all-electric and emission-free, and, according to the Center, are road tested, well appointed, and 5 door vehicles with seating for four passengers with room for cargo.
• From Electrovaya, the Maya 300 car can go up to 120 miles on one charge of its lithium-ion battery system, and can be recharged from a regular 110-volt outlet.
• The public can rent hourly or join the car share network as a member and reserve online.
• Rental rates are $14.50 an hour for the general public, $7.50 an hour for Altcar.org members.
• “The electricity cost to drive 50 miles in the Maya-300 is about $1.00 when charging during the day. However, if charging is done at off peak periods, the fuelling cost will go down even further,” according to Electrovaya.
• Between now through July 31, licensed drivers holding an admission ticket can take a free test drive daily.

The Maryland Science Center is a science museum located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The center was opened by the Maryland Academy of Sciences in 1976, with expansions in 1986 and 2004. The museum’s attractions include several permanent interactive exhibits, traveling exhibits, a planetarium, a demonstration stage, an observatory, a Segway station and an IMAX theater.

Electrovaya says it will make the cars available to the public in 2011, starting at $25,000 for a 60-mile range vehicle and $35,000 for the 120-mile range vehicle, according to the nytimes.com titled “All-Electric Car-Sharing Debuts in Baltimore.”

When will Enterprise, Hertz and other rental car companies take note?

Read more on Electrovaya’s Maya 300.
Read more on Altcar reservations.

Maryland Science Center to Become First in Nation to Rent Electric Cars Beginning August 2009 is a post from: CleanCarTalk