BOSTON, May 2, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zipcar, the world's leading car sharing company, today announced "Zipcar ONE>WAY," a new service that will enable members to take point-to-point trips within cities, and to and from select airport locations. The new service, currently being tested and slated to launch in select markets later this year, will exclusively feature the Honda Fit, the fun-to-drive, fuel-efficient and versatile subcompact that is small enough to zip in and around cities, yet large enough to comfortably fit up to five people and their gear. Honda's role in the Zipcar ONE>WAY service continues its long legacy in car sharing dating back to the introduction of its Intelligent Community Vehicle System (ICVS) concept in 1994.
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The new Zipcar ONE>WAY service will enable members to reserve and pick up a Honda Fit Zipcar at a designated location and drop it off at another with a guaranteed parking spot. Zipcar's new service not only benefits members through increased flexibility, but also helps reduce congestion in cities as members are not circling the block searching for parking. Zipcar ONE>WAY, combined with the company's industry-leading round-trip model, will offer members the most comprehensive mobility option available.
"Our ONE>WAY service blends the best of Zipcar – guaranteed parking and advance reservations – with the best of the one-way model – spontaneity and the freedom to leave a car in a different location," said Zipcar President Kaye Ceille. "Zipcar ONE>WAY, combined with our global fleet of more than 10,000 vehicles with 30 different makes and models, offers members the most options, the most flexibility and the largest global network of any mobility provider."
The all-new 2015 Honda Fit has become even more of a standout choice in the subcompact segment with its small-on-the-outside exterior and big-on-the-inside interior passenger and cargo space. Available through Zipcar ONE>WAY this fall, the 2015 Fit features a fresh and modern design, a powerful and efficient engine, plus a highly versatile interior loaded with standard equipment essential for urban driving like a rear-view camera and Bluetooth® hands-free connectivity. The surprisingly roomy 2015 Fit interior provides an impressive 95.7 cubic feet of passenger volume with comfortable seating for up to five passengers with ample storage space behind the rear seats.
For enhanced versatility, the Fit is equipped with the Honda-exclusive 60/40 split rear Magic Seat® which offers multiple seating and cargo-carrying configurations to accommodate long items up to eight feet long or tall items like plants. With its one-motion dive-down functionality, it can fold flat into the floor to provide nearly 53 cu-ft. of rear cargo volume. That's more cargo area than the average SUV, offering enough space to allow for 10 carry-on sized suitcases. On top of its superior cargo capabilities, the 2015 Fit is a class leader in fuel efficiency with an EPA fuel-economy rating 1 of 33/41/36 for the LX trim with a new Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).
"Created for urban mobility, the Fit subcompact and Zipcar ONE>WAY service will offer Zipsters the best of sustainable city transportation in a functional, stylish and fuel efficient package," said Steven Center, vice president of the Environmental Business Development Office at American Honda. "Honda has long been involved in the car sharing industry, and we believe that this program will help reduce emissions and city congestion while providing a new level of freedom and convenience to customers."
"This combination of roominess, flexibility and fuel efficiency makes the Fit a perfect fit for our ONE>WAY service," continued Ceille. "With this initiative, we build on a long and successful relationship with Honda, whose leadership in sustainability and engagement with the car sharing industry during the past decade have helped accelerate the growth of the car sharing category."
For more than a decade members have trusted Zipcar for a variety of round-trips, from the ordinary (grocery store runs) to the extraordinary (weddings). With the launch of Zipcar ONE>WAY, members will soon have more flexibility in the types of trips they can take. More information on the partnership and Zipcar ONE>WAY is available via the web at www.zipcar.com/oneway .
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 leading global provider of vehicle rental services. More information is available at www.zipcar.com .
About Honda
Honda offers a complete lineup of fuel-efficient cars and trucks through a network of more than 1,000 dealerships in the United States. Honda has more than 30 years of experience producing automobiles in the region, which began with the Accord in Marysville, Ohio, in November 1982. Having produced nearly 27 million vehicles in North America through 2013 using domestic and globally sourced parts, Honda currently operates 15 major manufacturing facilities in North America, producing a wide range of Honda automobiles, all-terrain vehicles, power equipment products, engines and transmissions. The 2015 Fit will be manufactured for the first time in North America at the new Honda plant in Celaya, Mexico. With the introduction of the new manufacturing facility in Mexico, Honda's North American automobile production facilities will have a total annual capacity of 1.92 million units, with the capability to manufacture vehicles in all product segments, from subcompacts to light truck models.
1 Based on 2015 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending driving conditions, how the vehicle is driven and maintained, and other factors.
The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.
CONTACT: Zipcar Media Contact: Lindsay Wester 617-336-4749, lwester@zipcar.com Honda Media Contact: Angie Nucci 310-781-4443, angie_nucci@hna.honda.com
