MCCA and Zipcar introduce new Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrids, Plug-in Charging Stations, and Hybrid Priority Parking in Boston

BOSTON, Sept. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Boston Common Garage and Zipcar, Inc., the world's leading car sharing network, today announced the introduction of four new 2014 Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrids to Zipcar's Boston fleet, as well as plug-in stations and priority parking for Zipcars and other hybrid vehicles at the Boston Common Garage. 

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"With these new additions, at the Boston Common Garage, you can now find a green spot all year long," said James E. Rooney, MCCA executive director. "We pride ourselves with running an organization that strives to have as little impact on our environment as possible. Thanks to our five-year partnership with Zipcar and their growing fleet of plug-in hybrids in Massachusetts, we can continue to offer services which enhance the quality of life in Boston and throughout the Commonwealth."

"We are thrilled to be able to offer Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrids to our members in the Boston area through Zipcar's program with Honda and our relationship with the MCCA," said Zipcar President, Mark Norman. "Zipcar fully supports the MCCA's efforts to green the Boston Common Garage by providing sustainable transportation options for area residents and visitors."

The new "green zone" on the BCG's middle level is part of an ongoing effort by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority – which owns and operates the garage - to create one of Boston's most environmentally friendly public parking facilities.

"Electric vehicles are great for the environment since they reduce greenhouse gas emissions and traditional tailpipe pollutants while using domestic sources of energy with stable costs, saving thousands of dollars in fueling costs over the life of a car," said Maeve Vallely Bartlett, Undersecretary of Environment at the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. "We applaud the partnership between MCCA and Zipcar as being the first to offer their customers the electric vehicle experience."

Zipcar is a longstanding pioneer in using advanced vehicle technologies as the first car sharing company in the United States to introduce electric vehicles, starting in Boston in 2002. Zipcar is also the first to offer hybrid vehicles through a partnership with Honda in Seattle in 2003. Zipcar's strong innovative history joined with the MCCA's broad reach in Massachusetts provides members with access to new advanced technology and more alternate fuel vehicles, both ranked highly by members in recent surveys.

The BCG's new green parking area is branded and just feet away from the facility's entrance and exit ramps. Signs from the Charles Street entrance will lead drivers to the area, which is restricted to Zipcar hybrid or plug-in, or privately owned, vehicles. In addition, the BCG is branding priority parking spots for hybrids near each of the garage's four entrances to Boston Common. The charging stations were funded through a U.S. Department of Energy grant.

Zipcar currently has four Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid vehicles available in Boston: two at Boston Common Garage, one at Post Office Square Garage and one on the Harvard University campus at Garden Street and Fernald Drive. The plug-ins are available to all Zipcar members ages 21+, starting from $11.25 per hour. 

Honda's 2014 Accord Plug-in Hybrid, based on the popular five-passenger Accord, is rated at a combined fuel economy of 46 mpg. On a full charge and tank of gas the range of the Accord Plug-in Hybrid is approximately 570 miles. The Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid battery can be recharged in about three hours when plugged into a standard 120-volt electrical outlet, and in less than one hour using a 240-volt "Level-2" charger.

For more information, visit www.massconvention.com or www.zipcar.com.

About The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority
The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority owns and oversees the operations of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, the MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA and the Boston Common Parking Garage.  The BCEC and Hynes have earned a rare gold standard from the International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC), making Boston only the fourth city in North America and the 12^th worldwide to have been awarded this top standard, the highest certification level a convention facility can achieve under strict AIPC guidelines.

In 2012, the MCCA hosted 245 events at the BCEC and Hynes with 654,119 attendees, generating 561,279 hotel room nights and $656 million in economic impact. The MCCA is currently in the midst of its Top 5 campaign to launch Boston into the top five convention destinations in North America. For more information, go to www.massconvention.com.

About Zipcar
Zipcar, the world's leading car sharing network, has operations 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. Zipcar is a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: CAR), a leading global provider of vehicle rental services. More information is available at www.zipcar.com. 

SOURCE Zipcar