In car rental news, Germany’s largest rental firm sets its sights on significant U.S. expansion; the Zipcar car sharing operation now has vehicles available at New York City airports; an all-Audi rental start-up opens another Texas airport location; and Hertz adds exotic cars at some European locations.

A new venture at San Francisco International Airport uses a revolutionary business model that lets travelers park their cars for free—and lets other travelers rent those same cars while the owners are out of town.

A brand-new rental firm called Silvercar has opened its first outlet at Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport, offering a technology-reliant business model that it says should appeal to time-stressed business travelers.

Is it possible to find some synergies from combining a traditional car rental company with a membership-based car sharing service? Avis Budget Group, the parent of Avis and Budget, aims to find out with a new acquisition.

In recent news from the rental car industry, Avis has started deploying new 2013 models around the U.S.; Enterprise will expand its brand to 350 more locations in Europe; Budget adds a new hotel partnership and grows in Spain; and Hertz offers mobile Wi-Fi in Italy.

After years of wrangling, including a bidding war against arch-rival Avis, Hertz Global Holdings has finally won the right to acquire Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, the parent of the Dollar and Thrifty rental brands—but not all of it, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Tucked away in the results of its 17th annual study of rental car customer satisfaction, J.D. Power and Associates reported that the demeanor of the rental agent can make a huge difference in how happy the customer is with his overall rental experience.

In rental car news this month, Avis has put its new Select & Go program in place at dozens of airport locations; Hertz adds more than 100 neighborhood rental outlets; and National makes its debut at Brazilian airport locations.

After a two-year effort that included a bidding war against Avis Budget, it appears that Hertz has finally won the prize — an acquisition of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group (DTAG) that will eliminate one competitor from the car rental business.

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The French may love their wine, but the government abhors drunk driving. As of July 1, all motorists are required to have a Breathalyzer kit in their car to check their blood alcohol before they drive, which should be under 50mg per 100ml of blood. Kits cost about $2. The government is also considering having all new cars fitted with anti-start breath-test monitors.

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