Los Angeles Zipsters to Get a Charge out of Driving with New Honda Fit EVs

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Zipcar, Inc., the world's leading car sharing network, with the support of Los Angeles City Councilmember Eric Garcetti, today announced the introduction of 2013 Honda Fit EV battery electric vehicles (BEV) into the Zipcar Los Angeles fleet.

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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 Councilmember 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.

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 global leader in car sharing and vehicle rental services. More information is available at www.zipcar.com. 

About Paramount Developers & Contractors, Inc.
Paramount Developers & Contractors. Inc. is a leading property management and real estate developer in Hollywood. Located in the heart of the entertainment industry, we specialize in providing the highest quality of service.

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.

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.