ZipCar Adds Honda Fit EV to LAX Fleet

The new Honda Fit EVs are available to all Zipcar members ages 21+ for hourly reservations, starting from $8.75 per hour.
Zipcar, Inc., the world's leading car sharing network, with the support of Los Angeles City Council member Eric Garcetti, today announced the introduction of 2013 Honda Fit EV battery electric vehicles (BEV) into the Zipcar Los Angeles fleet.

The addition of the new electric vehicles in Los Angeles 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. 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. Through the program, Zipcar is planning to add additional Honda EVs into the company's fleet over the course of this year.  "We are thrilled to be able to offer Honda Fit EVs to our members in the Los Angeles area through Zipcar's program with Honda," said Jeff Shields , general manager, Zipcar Los Angeles. "The new EVs will enhance the sustainable transportation options our Zipcar members have available to them and allow Los Angeles residents and visitors to further reduce their carbon footprint, all while driving one of the most technologically-advanced and fun cars on the road." The new Honda Fit EVs are available to all Zipcar members ages 21+ for hourly reservations, starting from $8.75 per hour. For more information on how the new EVs in Los Angeles work, visit www.zipcar.com/LAEV.

  "Zipcar's operation in Hollywood is easing parking congestion, reducing air pollution and putting people to work," said Eric Garcetti , who represents Hollywood as a City Council member and who supported Zipcar's opening and expanding in the community. "These cleaner, quieter vehicles are a great addition to the neighborhood." The first of the new Honda Fit EVs are located at 6464 and 6565 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, in commercial buildings managed by Paramount Contractors & Developers, Inc (PCD). The vehicles are located in Zipcar branded parking spots with charging stations. Owner of Paramount Contractors & Developers, Brian Folb stated, "Paramount Contractor & Developers has long been at the forefront of building ecofriendly buildings, and was among the first developers in Hollywood to incorporate solar panels and electric chargers into their properties. Naturally we are thrilled that now, with the addition of the Honda Fit EVs, we can be the first LA area buildings to offer electric vehicles from Zipcar."  To help introduce the new Honda Fit EVs to Los Angeles Zipsters, Zipcar will hold events on Friday, March 29 from 12noon- 4pm in the lobbies of both 6464 and 6565 Sunset Boulevard. Los Angeles residents and PCD tenants are invited to stop by to check out the new Honda Fit EV vehicles, and Zipcar members can take them for a test spin. The event will also include refreshments and technology demonstrations of how the EVs work. 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.

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.
Source : EVWorld.com, April 1, 2013