CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Zipcar, Inc.
(Nasdaq:ZIP), the world's leading car sharing network, today
announced the introduction of 2013 Honda Fit EV battery electric
vehicles (BEV) into the Zipcar Portland fleet, with the first
vehicles located at Portland State
University (PSU). Charging stations for the EVs are provided
by ECOtality, Inc. (Nasdaq:ECTY), a leader in clean electric
transportation and storage technologies, which is also providing
Zipcar members access to the company's Blink Network of charging
stations in Portland during their
reservations.
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"We are very excited to introduce Honda Fit EVs into the Zipcar
fleet here in Portland. The new
EVs add to the selection of smart and sustainable vehicle options
Zipcar currently offers, and will help our members further reduce
their environmental impact by driving on electricity only," said
Jeremy Nelson, General Manager,
Zipcar Portland.
The new Honda Fit EVs are located on PSU's campus at Parking
Structure 1, and are available to all Zipcar members ages 21+ for
hourly reservations, starting from $10.25 per hour. Zipcar chose PSU for the
location of its first EVs in Portland because of the University's
leadership in environmentally conscious innovations, including its
Electric Avenue automotive charging stations on campus.
"Having electric vehicles available at PSU through Zipcar fits
perfectly with our sustainability mission," said Portland State University President Wim Wiewel. "It's a clean transportation
option that I think our students, faculty and staff are really
going to appreciate."
Through Zipcar's program with ECOtality, members who reserve
Honda Fit EVs in Portland will
have full access to ECOtality's Blink Network of charging stations
located throughout the Portland
area if they are in need of a charge during their reservation. Each
Zipcar Fit EV is outfitted with a Blink InCard, which provides
complimentary access to Blink Network charging stations to charge
up, similar to the way gas cards work in other Zipcar vehicles. To
find Blink Network charging stations in the greater Portland area, please visit:
http://www.blinknetwork.com/blinkMap.html.
"As EV's enter into mass adoption, innovative companies such as
Zipcar allow us to introduce our Blink charging stations to an
audience that might not otherwise have the opportunity to
experience an EV," stated Greg
Fioriti, Chief Revenue Officer of ECOtality, Inc. "We look
forward to working with Zipcar and generating increased awareness
of EVs throughout the Portland
area."
EV Member Education Program
Prior to reserving one of
the Zipcar EVs, members will have the opportunity to learn more
about driving electric vehicles through Zipcar's member education
program. Members can visit www.zipcar.com/portlandev to learn more
about the electric vehicles, watch an instructional video, go
through a quick orientation process and make a reservation.
Honda's 2013 Fit EV, based on its popular five-passenger Fit,
earns a combined adjusted Environmental Protection Agency
mile-per-gallon-equivalency rating of 118 MPGe1, and an
unprecedented low consumption rating of just 29 kilowatt hours per
100 miles[1]. The 100-percent electric Honda Fit EV features a
20-kilowatt-hour Lithium-Ion battery and a compact 92-kilowatt AC
synchronous electric motor that generates 189 ft-lb of torque. When
connected to a 240-volt circuit, the Honda Fit EV battery can be
recharged in less than three hours from a low charge indicator
illumination point2.
Zipcar is a longstanding pioneer in using advanced vehicle
technologies. It was the first car sharing company in
the United States to introduce
electric vehicles, starting in Boston in 2002, and the first to offer hybrid
vehicles through a partnership with Honda in Seattle in 2003. Zipcar member surveys
show a strong interest in the use of advanced technology and
alternate fuel vehicles in the program.
About Zipcar
Zipcar is the world's leading car sharing
network with more than 777,000 members and nearly 10,000 vehicles
in urban areas and college campuses throughout the United States, Canada, the United
Kingdom, Spain and
Austria. Zipcar offers more than
30 makes and models of self-service vehicles by the hour or day to
residents and businesses looking for smart, simple and convenient
solutions to their urban and campus transportation needs. More
information is available at www.zipcar.com.
About Portland State University
(PSU)
Located in Portland,
Oregon, PSU has about 30,000 undergraduate and graduate
students. PSU's motto is "Let Knowledge Serve the City," and we
provide every student with opportunities to work with businesses,
schools and organizations on real-world projects. Our downtown
campus exhibits PSU's commitment to sustainability with green
buildings, while sustainability is incorporated into much of the
curriculum.
About ECOtality, Inc.
ECOtality, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECTY),
headquartered in San Francisco,
California, is a leader in clean electric transportation and
storage technologies. Through innovation, acquisitions, and
strategic partnerships, ECOtality accelerates the market
applicability of advanced electric technologies to replace
carbon-based fuels. For more information about ECOtality, Inc.,
please visit www.ecotality.com.
About Honda
In addition to the Fit EV, Honda's diverse
portfolio of alternative fuel vehicles has included numerous
technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO2
emissions including the first EV leases in California (1997 Honda EV Plus), the retail
introduction of America's first hybrid (1999 Honda Insight),
delivery of the first fuel-cell electric vehicle in the U.S. (2002
Honda FCX), four generations of the Civic Natural Gas (first
introduced in 1998) and the first gasoline-powered vehicles in the
hands of consumers to meet stricter emissions standards. Honda has
also led the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) rankings of
overall vehicle environmental performance since 2000, and a Honda
vehicle has topped the list of America's greenest vehicles, from
the America Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), for 15
consecutive years.
ZIP-G
[1] 132/105/118 city/highway/combined miles per gallon of
gasoline-equivalent (MPGe) rating; 82 mile combined (city/highway)
driving range rating (adjusted). Ratings determined by U.S. EPA.
Your MPGe and range will vary depending on driving conditions, how
you drive and maintain your vehicle, battery age/condition, and
other factors. For additional information about EPA ratings, visit
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/label/learn-more-electric-label.shtml.
2 From low-charge indicator illumination point to
full charge how you drive and maintain your vehicle, battery
age/condition, and other factors. For additional information about
EPA ratings, visit
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/label/learn-more-electric-label.shtml.
SOURCE Zipcar, Inc.