Nissan strikes college car-sharing deal with Enterprise

In a bid to get younger drivers to try out its cars, Japanese automaker Nissan has reached a deal to become the exclusive provider of Enterprise rental cars on nearly 90 U.S. college campuses.

The deal, announced Tuesday, represents another leg in the auto industry's multi-faceted strategy to win the hearts and minds of Millennials who are often apathetic about cars.

It comes amid stiff competition in the car-sharing business, as the Uber and Lyft apps give students new options for jaunts around town.

Nissan said the partnership with Enterprise CarShare will place about 300 vehicles at colleges, with as many as 25 vehicles on some campuses.

Another 40 campuses or so will still have a mix of vehicles from other automakers.

Enterprise said it's offering the Nissan cars on campus at rates of $5 per hour for all models through 2015.

The deal comes as the auto industry is increasingly studying alternative business models. Ford is running a pilot car-sharing program in partnership with a service called Getaround. And Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has fostered speculation that he's examining a car-sharing model.

Taken together, the efforts illustrate the auto industry's fervent desire to appeal to Millennial consumers, generally defined as people born between 1980 and 2000.

Nissan hopes to build positive connections with college students who use its vehicles but may not purchase a new car for many years.

An internal Enterprise study found that nearly one in three Millennials started shopping for a new car after a good experience with a rental.

"The Enterprise CarShare program offers a convenient way for college students, faculty and staff to enjoy an extended test drive of a wide range of Nissan vehicles and to experience 'Innovation that excites' firsthand," Nissan U.S. sales chief Fred Diaz said in a statement.

Follow Paste BN reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.