Zipcar Launches Honda Fit EVs into Portland Fleet

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.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111118/MM09809LOGO )

"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.