Zipcar said it has launched an electric-vehicle initiative in 10 U.S. cities.
The initiative is rolling out in Boston, Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Baltimore, Denver and Philadelphia.
The car-sharing company said it is partnering with cities, university campuses and commercial and residential businesses nationwide “to bring electric vehicles to drivers who need easy, affordable access to a vehicle and, unlike other services, managed professionally by an industry leader with nearly 25 years of operations and member experience.”
Zipcar said it will leverage its proprietary tools to monitor the EV fleet “to optimize charging while meeting turn-around for member demand.”
“Zipcar is ready to accelerate into the future by offering electric vehicles to our members and communities,” said Angelo Adams, head of Zipcar.“We’ve built on more than two decades of car-sharing expertise and aim to bring the electric vehicle experience to cities, campuses and businesses nationwide. Together, Zipcar and our partners seek to advance the goals of bringing equitable, sustainable transportation to those who cannot afford the increasing costs and hassles of personal car ownership.”
Zipcar said it has committed to allocating 25% of its electric fleet to disadvantaged communities needing affordable and convenient vehicles for driving to professional and personal appointments, running errands or visiting friends and family. With this commitment, Zipcar joined the White House EV Acceleration Challenge, which supports a historic effort to transition to equitable and sustainable transportation.
“Equitable access to transportation and environmental sustainability is a key benefit of the car-free and car-lite lifestyle Zipcar enables, especially with the increasing adoption of EVs,” the company said in a news release.
Zipcar has surveyed members to understand their sentiment, behavior and driving experience and learned that 89% of respondents had no EV driving experience.
To demystify EVs and build members’ confidence ahead of an EV reservation, Zipcar created the “Zipcar EV Guide,” which members can access via QR codes in vehicles and in their Zipcar reservation confirmation.
