Zipcar to Include Honda Fit EVs in San Francisco Carsharing Network
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The car sharing company Zipcar will start including 2013 Honda Fit EVs in San Francisco this month. Zipcar will station the Fit vehicles at City Hall at 34 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, at the InterContinental, and at Parc 55 hotels (near the Powell St. BART).
A Zipcar spokesperson said that the Fit can charge in under 3 hours using a 240-volt power outlet, and the car will be rented for $8 per hour. It can travel 82 miles on a single charge and offers a fuel efficiency of 118 MPGe (Miles Per Gallon equivalent).
Fit EV Carsharing Details
The Fit EV actually uses a lithium-titanate (Toshiba Super-Charge) battery that is capable of charging almost completely (to 90% of its capacity) in less than 10 minutes, but this requires a proper charger designed to provide the large current necessary for it.
Hopefully, Honda will also offer compatible charging stations to be set up in public places (where they are needed most, since everyone has 240-volt outlets at home which can charge the car overnight).
“The introduction of the Honda Fit EVs into the Zipcar fleet allows our members to drive one of the most technologically-advanced vehicles on the road while reducing environmental impact,” said Mark Norman, Zipcar president and COO.
“These vehicles add to the selection of smart and sustainable options Zipcar currently offers, and will help increase overall awareness of an exciting new technology in a vehicle we know our members will love.”
Another initiative that complements this one is a recent solar-powered electric vehicle charging station set up in San Diego that charges electric cars in the parking lot of the San Diego Zoo (assuming that you are actually attending the zoo). Perhaps a bit far for a trip from San Francisco, but if one is taking the Fit EV down that far, I’m sure they’d appreciate the chargers!
Demonstrations and free test drives were also held on Monday and Tuesday at the San Francisco Justin Herman plaza.
Zipcar and Honda also intend to introduce additional Honda Fit BEVs to Zipcar fleets in Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, this fall.
Honda also rents out Fit electric vehicles in California for $389 per month.
Source: Autoblog Green
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