Enterprise Rent-A-Car and VeraSun Energy Join Forces in South Dakota to Promote Use of Renewable Fuels

SIOUX FALLS, S.D., March 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Enterprise Rent-A-Car and VeraSun Energy Corp. , one of the nation's largest ethanol producers, today announced the first "VE85(TM)/FlexFuel" rental branch location in South Dakota. The Sioux Falls location is the newest Enterprise branch to receive the E85/FlexFuel designation as part of a nationwide effort to promote the expanded availability and use of E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Enterprise will commit to fueling its Sioux Falls FlexFuel vehicles with VeraSun's branded E85, VE85(TM).

Located at 1322 N. Minnesota Ave., the Enterprise "VE85(TM)/FlexFuel Branch" will hold the inaugural fueling of its fleet on Tuesday at the Get-N-Go located at 600 S. Minnesota Ave. during a VE85(TM) pump promotion. From 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., VeraSun and the South Dakota Corn Council will sponsor a promotion where consumers can purchase VE85(TM) for $.85 a gallon. Officials from VeraSun and the South Dakota Corn Council will be available to speak about the benefits of ethanol and the importance of improving our country's energy independence. Enterprise representatives will also be on hand to speak about the company's commitment to promoting the expanded availability of alternative fuels and technologies.

"Embracing new, clean fuels and automotive technologies is a priority for Enterprise Rent-A-Car and an important part of our broader commitment to environmental stewardship," said Christopher Hay, Vice President and General Manager for Enterprise in South Dakota. "As new technologies and alternative fuels become commercially viable, we'll continue to embrace them, and to work with VeraSun Energy and other partners to educate and encourage our customers to use them."

The Taylor family of companies, which includes Enterprise, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car, owns and operates the world's largest fleet of FlexFuel vehicles -- more than 73,000 cars and trucks that have the ability to run on E85. VeraSun launched its VE85(TM) brand in May 2005 with seven stations in Sioux Falls and today it is available at more than 140 fueling locations in 13 states and Washington, D.C.

"Enterprise's commitment to offering flexible fuel vehicles and promoting the use of E85 in those vehicles is another example of how E85 is increasing its role in diversifying our nation's energy needs," said Bill Honnef, VeraSun Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives. "We applaud Enterprise for showing corporate leadership and responsibility by setting an example that others can follow."

Employees at the Sioux Falls location will provide customers with educational materials about ethanol and flexible fuel vehicles, in addition to a map detailing Sioux Falls VE85(TM) locations. The Sioux Falls "VE85(TM)/FlexFuel Branch" joins similar branches in Washington, D.C.; Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton, Ohio; St. Louis, Mo.; and Charlotte, N.C.

"Approximately 30 percent of the vehicles at the Sioux Falls 'VE85(TM)/FlexFuel Branch' will be FlexFuel, and we are committed to keeping them fueled with VeraSun's VE85(TM) from Get-N-Go's fuel pumps," Hay said. "Our continued partnership with VeraSun Energy has enabled us to make great strides in educating and offering others the use of alternative fuels."

"We launched VE85(TM) with the objective of increasing availability and awareness by driving volume to participating retailers," Honnef said. "As our brand continued to increase, it allowed us to develop deeper partnerships with companies like Enterprise. We are pleased to bring those partnerships back to South Dakota and create value for consumers and our retail partners who continue to support renewable fuels."

E85 is a high-octane, cleaner-burning fuel, with an octane rating of 100 or greater and the highest oxygen content of any fuel available today. The Argonne National Laboratory reported that the use of 6.5 billion gallons of ethanol in the United States during 2007 resulted in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 10 million tons. The use of E85 alone contributes to a 20 percent reduction in ozone-forming pollution and a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

About Enterprise Rent-A-Car

For additional details about Enterprise Rent-A-Car's comprehensive environmental stewardship platform, visit http://www.keystogreen.com/. Founded in 1957, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is headquartered in St. Louis and serves customers in the United States, Canada, the U.K., Ireland, and Germany. Enterprise is North America's largest car rental company in fleet size, number of locations, and annual revenue, ranking No. 21 on the Forbes Top 500 Private Companies in America. Enterprise has ranked highest in customer satisfaction among airport rentals in eight out of the past nine years, according to J.D. Power and Associates Rental Car Satisfaction Study SM. Enterprise is owned by the Taylor family, which acquired the National Car Rental (nationalcar.com) and Alamo Rent A Car (alamo.com) businesses in 2007. For more information about Enterprise, visit enterprise.com.

About VeraSun Energy Corporation

VeraSun Energy Corporation , headquartered in Brookings, S.D., is a leading producer of renewable fuel. Founded in 2001, the company has 560 million gallons per year (MMGY) of production capacity through five operating ethanol production facilities in Aurora, S.D., Fort Dodge and Charles City, Iowa, Linden, Ind., and Albion, Neb. Four facilities are currently either under construction or development in Hartley, Iowa, Welcome, Minn., Reynolds, Ind., and Bloomingburg, Ohio. Upon completion of the new facilities, VeraSun Energy will have an annual production capacity of approximately one billion gallons. The company also has begun construction at its Aurora facility to extract oil from dried distillers grains, a co-product of the ethanol process, for use in biodiesel production.

VeraSun markets E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline for use in Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs), directly to fuel retailers under the brand VE85(TM). VeraSun Energy now has approximately 150 VE85(TM) retail locations under contract in more than a dozen states and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit VeraSun Energy's websites at http://www.verasun.com/ or http://www.ve85.com/.