Zipcar San Francisco Fleet Now Includes New Honda Fit EV

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Zipcar, Inc. (Nasdaq:ZIP), the world's leading car sharing network, and American Honda Motor Co., Inc. today announced the introduction of 2013 Honda Fit EV battery electric vehicles (BEV) into the Zipcar fleet, starting in San Francisco.  The addition of the new electric vehicles comes as a result of the program announced by Honda and Zipcar in April 2012, through which Honda became a Zipcar preferred vehicle manufacturer with a focus on hybrid and electric vehicles.

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The new Honda Fit EVs will be placed in Zipcar locations throughout San Francisco this month, including the InterContinental Hotel, Parc 55 (near the Powell St. BART) and City Hall at 34 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place. These vehicles will be available for hourly reservation by all Zipcar members, starting from just $8.00 per hour.  Zipcar and Honda also have plans to introduce additional Honda Fit EV vehicles to Zipcar fleets in Los Angeles and Portland, OR, this fall.

To celebrate the introduction of the new vehicles into Zipcar's San Francisco fleet, Zipcar and Honda will be offering demonstrations and test drives of the new Honda Fit EV as part of the "Charge Across Town" EV Week event at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco on September 17 and 18, 2012.  The event is free and open to the public, and both consumers and members of the media are invited to preview the vehicle and see how it works with Zipcar's technology.

"The introduction of the Honda Fit EVs into the Zipcar fleet allows our members to drive one of the most technologically-advanced vehicles on the road while reducing environmental impact," said Mark Norman, Zipcar president and COO. "These vehicles add to the selection of smart and sustainable options Zipcar currently offers, and will help increase overall awareness of an exciting new technology in a vehicle we know our members will love." 

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 miles¹. 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.

The agreement between Honda and Zipcar gives Zipcar members increased access to Honda's most technologically advanced, lowest emission vehicles, making an already transformational service even more sustainable. Zipcar's platform is ideal for the inclusion of these types of vehicles as it allows urban dwelling, tech-savvy drivers to get a firsthand introduction to the newest technology and share that experience within their networks.

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 Honda
Honda offers a diverse lineup of 13 cars and trucks that include the mid-sized Accord, the compact Civic line-up of seven individual models, CR-V crossover SUV and Odyssey minivan. Honda also offers a wide range of fuel-efficient and low-emission vehicles that include the Insight hybrid, Civic Natural Gas (compressed natural gas-powered vehicle), Civic Hybrid, CR-Z (sport hybrid coupe), FCX Clarity (fuel cell-electric vehicle), the Fit EV (electric vehicle) and the soon-to-be-released Accord Plug-In Hybrid Sedan. Honda began operations in the U.S. in 1959 with the establishment of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda's first overseas subsidiary. Honda has been manufacturing automobiles in America, using domestic and globally sourced parts, for 30 years, beginning with production of the Honda Accord in Marysville, Ohio, in 1982.

About Zipcar
Zipcar is the world's leading car-sharing service with approximately 730,000 members and 11,000 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 an alternative to the high costs and hassles of owning a car. More information is available at www.zipcar.com.

Zipcar and the Zipcar logo are trademarks of Zipcar, Inc.

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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 charge¹

SOURCE Zipcar, Inc.