Zipcar Supports Government Transportation Programs Across State, City and County in Illinois

CHICAGO, Feb. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Zipcar, Inc. ZIP, the world's leading car sharing network, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, announced the launch of a new integrated fleet and car sharing program that is expected to save Cook County, Illinois, more than $250,000 in annual vehicle costs and travel reimbursement in 2013. This new program is the latest of several government transportation programs supported by Zipcar throughout Illinois, including programs at the state, city and county levels.  These partnerships showcase how Zipcar can help government organizations complement their existing fleets by providing access to car sharing for employees, while optimizing their existing fleet with Zipcar's FastFleet technology.

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The partnership with Cook County will promote energy efficiency and sustainability by reducing the number of County-owned vehicles, decreasing the amount of money spent for mileage reimbursement and increasing the number of cars available to employees.

Through the new program, named "Shared Fleet", existing County-owned fleet vehicles have been outfitted with Zipcar's FastFleet® proprietary fleet sharing technology for employee use. County employees can now use Shared Fleet vehicles from three locations: inside a Loop garage, at the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center and at the Department of Corrections.  Additional vehicles will be stationed at other suburban County facilities as the program expands. Further, through Zipcar for Business, Zipcar's business transportation solution, County employees also now receive discounted rates and access to more than 500 Zipcars located throughout the greater Chicago area.

"With the combined use of the Shared Fleet and Zipcars, our employees will have more efficient access to transportation to conduct their business," President Preckwinkle said. "Over time, we'll achieve energy efficiency by having fewer cars on the road. The program will save taxpayers money and conserve the environment."

"This new program between Zipcar and Cook County is another great example of smart City-County collaboration," said Charles Stephens, general manager, Zipcar Chicago.  "We applaud President Preckwinkle and Cook County for their commitment to innovation and developing smart transportation solutions that promote sustainability and fiscal responsibility, while helping to create efficiencies. We're proud to support so many government transportation initiatives throughout the State of Illinois, and we look forward to bringing on more departments to help further reduce costs while increasing mobility."

In March 2011, the City of Chicago became the first city in the country to integrate both the use of Zipcar's FastFleet technology in their existing fleet and Zipcar for Business. By using this combination of Zipcars and fleet sharing to eliminate fleet vehicles where concentration of Zipcar can meet demand, the City of Chicago program has reduced their non-emergency light duty fleet by over 20 percent (more than 950 vehicles in 2007 vs. less than 750 today), and is netting over $500k in savings annually.

Additionally, in October 2011, Zipcar and The Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) announced the launch of a sustainable transportation option for state employees through the Zipcar for Business offering.  This initiative was put in place to help support the State's goal to reduce overall fuel consumption and promote environmentally-friendly forms of transportation for State business.  Employees in the Chicago metropolitan area and Springfield have access to Zipcar's hybrid and other fuel efficient vehicles to meet State business travel needs.

About Zipcar
Zipcar is the world's leading car-sharing network with more than 767,000 members and over 10,000 vehicles located in major metropolitan 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 an alternative to the high costs and hassles of owning a car. More information is available at www.zipcar.com.

About Zipcar's FastFleet® Technology
FastFleet is Zipcar's proprietary car sharing technology that enables fleet managers to save money, reduce risk and promote sustainability by leveraging the same technology that powers Zipcar's consumer fleet. The FastFleet program empowers client fleet administrators to determine the numbers, types and locations of vehicles, which are then equipped with Zipcar's in-vehicle technology, wirelessly linking them to a dedicated server. Utilzing FastFleet technology makes reserving and driving a vehicle a seamless process for employees, while providing significant benefits to fleet managers as well.  More information is available at www.fastfleet.net.

Zipcar, FastFleet and the Zipcar logo are trademarks of Zipcar, Inc.

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SOURCE Zipcar, Inc.