Zipcar, the world’s leading car-sharing service, now has plug-in hybrid cars available to its members in three areas of the U.S.: Boston/Cambridge, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon.
Zipcar entered into a deal with Toyota to offer Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles (PHVs) in the car sharing network to see how electric vehicles would fare in a large-scale car-sharing model, according to a press release released by the company through PR Newswire on January 27, 2011.
Zipcar, the world's leading car-sharing service, has more than 530,000 members and 8,000 vehicles in urban areas and college campuses throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, according to the company's web site. The company offers more than 30 makes and models of “self service” cars to members who can rent vehicles by the hour or day.
Eight Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles in Pilot Program
The eight vehicles offered by Zipcar are part of a pilot launched with Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. The goal is to show off the car manufacturer’s new plug-in hybrid cars, as well as evaluate the performance of these vehicles. The “PR” value of this project, say spokespersons for both Zipcar and Toyota, will also help educate and prepare the public for electric vehicles.
The Toyota Prius PHVs is not yet commercially available (it is slated to launch in 2012); the eight hybrids used by Zipcar are among the 160 Toyota will distribute nationwide.
Places to Rent a Plug-In Hybrid
Zipcar currently offers three of the vehicles in Cambridge/Boston; one located at the Albany Street Garage on the campus of MIT, one at 33 Arch Street in downtown Boston and one at the Prudential Center.
San Francisco members have access to three of the Prius PHV vehicles, which join a converted plug-in Prius already in the fleet. One of the vehicles is housed in front of City Hall, one is located in North Point/Fisherman's Wharf and the third is located in Union Square.
Two vehicles are also available in Portland, one at the Portland State University Parking Garage and one at Shaver Green. The eight Prius PHVs will be available to Zipcar members in Boston/Cambridge, San Francisco and Portland for reservation throughout 2011.
"Zipcar is an ideal test bed for early consumer acceptance of EVs,” said Scott Griffith, chairman and CEO of Zipcar in the press release. “This project will allow companies to receive direct feedback from thousands of consumers in three cities and help evaluate how EVs fit into a large-scale car sharing model."
About the Toyota Prius PHV
The Prius PHV is powered by lithium-ion batteries and can be charged from a standard 110-volt outlet; it takes up to three hours to charge. The car can travel on electric-only power at speeds of up to 62 mph for approximately 13 miles. After that, it shifts to operate as a conventional Prius hybrid, which averages about 50 miles per gallon.
The Toyota PHV model is not Zipcar’s first hybrid vehicle, but joins the company’s fleet of 1,000 hybrid vehicles already on the road. Zipcar currently offers converted plug-in hybrids in San Francisco, and pure EV models in the London market.
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