Press Release Details

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 25, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zipcar today announced the introduction of a 2014 Honda Fit battery electric vehicle (EV), located at The University of California, Davis'(UC Davis) West Village, the largest planned zero net energy community in the United States. In the course of a year, the community is designed to generate as much energy as it consumes. The low-carbon electric vehicle is designed to help address one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions - vehicle usage.

"UC Davis and West Village are getting closer and closer to their goal of creating a zero net energy community, and our convenient, cost-effective and sustainable transportation option will be a key component," said Zipcar Sacramento market manager, Chris Witmer. "With an all-electric Zipcar available by the hour, West Village residents can minimize their emissions without sacrificing their ability to do errands, visit friends or take other trips."

The new Honda Fit EV at UC Davis is located at West Village Square right across the street from West Village's other Zipcar, a Honda Insight, in front of "The Hub Market." Both vehicles are available to all Zipcar members ages 18+ for hourly reservations, starting at $8.50 per hour. Zipcar has had vehicles on campus at UC Davis since 2009.  Zipcar has nearly 40 vehicles in approximately 20 locations throughout the greater Sacramento area.

"As our West Village community reaches net zero building energy use, climate warming carbon from vehicles in California still accounts for 40 percent of the carbon we emit," said Dan Sperling, founding director, UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies. "Innovations like solar power to help generate the electricity needed to charge the EV, and fully zero emission car sharing moves us aggressively toward a sustainable future.  Zipcar introduces students to practical zero emission driving in a more convenient and sustainable model, saving them thousands of dollars on car payments, insurance and gas as they can live carless during their college years - and perhaps beyond."

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, and the first to offer hybrid vehicles through a partnership with Honda in Seattle in 2003. Today many of Zipcar's vehicles are among the most fuel-efficient vehicles available on the market, including hybrids, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and other EPA SmartWay Certified and LEED Certified cars.  

Zipcar's strong innovative history joined with the West Village community's commitment to a more sustainable way of living provides Zipcar members with access to advanced technology and more alternative fuel vehicles to help make Sacramento a better more convenient place to live and work.

Honda's 2014 Fit EV, based on the popular five-passenger Fit, is rated at a combined fuel economy of 118 MPGe¹, making it one of the most efficient cars on the road. When connected to a 240-volt circuit, the Fit EV battery can be recharged in less than three hours from a low charge indicator illumination point² and has a range of approximately 82 miles¹. For more information or to join Zipcar please visit www.zipcar.com/ucd.

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 vehicle rental services. More information is available at www.zipcar.com.

About UC Davis

UC Davis is a global community of individuals united to better humanity and our natural world while seeking solutions to some of our most pressing challenges. Located near the California state capital, UC Davis has more than 34,000 students, and the full-time equivalent of 4,100 faculty and other academics and 17,400 staff. The campus has an annual research budget of over $750 million, a comprehensive health system and about two dozen specialized research centers. The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and 99 undergraduate majors in four colleges and six professional schools.

About Honda

Based on its vision of "Blue Skies for our Children," Honda is taking a portfolio approach to reducing the environmental impact of its products, advancing fuel efficiency, low emissions and fun-to-drive performance with new powertrain technologies from its Earth Dreams Technology lineup, which includes more fuel-efficient engines and transmissions and advanced electromotive technologies. Honda's alternative-fuel vehicle lineup includes the Civic Hybrid, the CR-Z hybrid sport coupe and the Accord Hybrid, the most fuel-efficient 5-passenger sedan in America, as well as the Accord Plug-In Hybrid and the Civic Natural Gas, the only natural gas-powered passenger car available from a major automaker in America.

Honda also has announced plans to introduce an all-new fuel cell vehicle to U.S. customers in 2015, as a successor to the highly advanced FCX Clarity. According to the U.S. EPA, Honda had the highest fuel economy and lowest CO2 emissions among all major automotive brands for model year 2012, the most recent year for which complete data is available.  

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

CONTACT: Media Contact:

         Jennifer Mathews

         Public Relations Manager

         617.336.4605

         jmathews@zipcar.com