ST. LOUIS -

After announcing on April 24 that it would launch what it says is the U.S. car rental industry’s first subscription service, Enterprise Holdings came out with a related announcement on Wednesday: The company revealed the three states where the service will initially launch.

Enterprise Holdings, which is the parent company to the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands, said in a news release on Wednesday that it would launch its subscription service in Minnesota, Missouri and Nevada. Enterprise plans to eventually expand the service throughout the country.

Also, we now know the name of the program: Subscribe with Enterprise.

Enterprise Holdings executive vice president of operations Randal Narike said in a news release the company was starting the subscription service in just three states to ensure the company has adequate time “to develop a deep understanding of the subscription process and consumer preferences.”

Enterprise said the new service takes advantage of what it says is the company's accessible network of Enterprise Rent-A-Car neighborhood locations.

Customers can select the participating state to apply to enroll online. For Minnesota, major cities include Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Duluth. For Missouri, St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia and Jefferson City are among the major cities. Major Nevada cities include Las Vegas, Henderson and Reno.

After the customer applies and gets approved, an enrollment confirmation e-mail will include a subscriber ID and phone number for the dedicated “concierge” line. Customers will be able to complete their first vehicle reservation on that line.  

With Subscribe with Enterprise, customers pay one monthly fee and can select from several different vehicle classes representing more than 20 makes and models. Those include full-size and premium sedans, small and mid-sized SUVs, and light duty trucks. Subscribers can also swap out their vehicle up to four times per month.

The new service requires a minimum commitment of two full calendar months. In addition to the renter receiving a vehicle tailored to his or her specific needs, the monthly cost will include vehicle maintenance, roadside assistance, damage and liability protection, and Sirius XM Radio, when available. Enterprise says the mileage limit of up to 3,000 miles per month is higher than the limit for most traditional leases.

“Consumers have asked us for long-term rental options that offer a new level of flexibility for when they need a sedan, an SUV or even a truck,” Narike said. “This service expands on our commitment to provide customers with innovative mobility alternatives that meet them where they live and work.”

The new vehicle-subscription program is the latest "Mobility as a Service" (MaaS) offering from Enterprise Holdings. The company says it has provided various local transportation services for more than 60 years and that it is strategically positioned to offer access to options such as including Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Enterprise CarShare, Enterprise Truck Rental, Commute with Enterprise, Zimride by Enterprise, and Enterprise Fleet Management. 

Enterprise Holdings says that because of that, it already operates as an “integral part of local transportation infrastructure” throughout much of the world and is a member of the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) Alliance in Europe.

The alliance is a public-private partnership focused on creating a common approach to MaaS and unlocking the economies of scale needed for implementation and “take-up” of MaaS in Europe and elsewhere. Facilitating a single, open market and full deployment of MaaS services is the coalition’s main goal.

“How is Enterprise able to thrive in such a complex and competitive marketplace? Because we know how to connect the dots and deliver the kind of transportation service that customers are looking for and expect today,” Narike said. “A one-size-fits-all approach just doesn't work anymore.”