Tell us a little about your company and activities in China?

Hertz is the largest worldwide car rental brand operating from more than 8,500 locations in 146 countries worldwide. In China, Hertz is a wholly owned subsidiary that offers its own fleet of superior cars and car rental services to the Chinese market, as well as outbound and inbound car rental services. We also operate one of the world's largest equipment rental businesses - Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation - offering rental services of heavy equipment and tools for construction and industrial needs. Therefore Hertz is the only total mobility solutions provider that offers services on 5 continents worldwide.

How long has your company been active in China? Have there been any major shifts in strategy in that time and why/ why not?

Hertz arrived in China in 2002 as one of the first international car rental companies in the world. We started out with an office to promote outbound car rentals for customers going abroad. Since then, Hertz has earned the honour of being the first choice car rental company for travellers. In 2009, Hertz became established in China as a wholly owned subsidiary that offers its own fleet of superior cars and car rental services to the Chinese market with offices in Shanghai, Beijing and, since July 2011, in Shenzhen and Tianjin.

The Hertz global Electric Vehicle campaign would be one of our major strategy shifts. Hertz keeps not only the customer but also sustainability in mind and has therefore recently started to introduce electrical cars into our China fleet. With this, we aim to reach the environmental awareness of all our customers and cut our cars’ carbon dioxide emissions as much as possible. Using electric vehicles is our first step to contribute to a better environment and a greener world. We see it as our corporate responsibility to aim for the best eco-friendly and green services and explore new and innovative ways to provide them.

Do you target a mainly Western or Chinese customer base, and why.

With our superior services and luxury cars, Hertz targets global-minded Chinese as well as expats living in China.