DEARBORN, Mich. and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 31, 2011 –
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) and Zipcar, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZIP) – the
world’s leading car-sharing network – today announced a new strategic
alliance establishing Ford as Zipcar’s largest university vehicle
partner, reaching students at more than 250 U.S. campuses.
The first-of-its-kind, two-year tie-up introduces a new generation of
drivers to Ford vehicles with the highly fuel-efficient Focus and
Escape now part of Zipcar’s existing fleet of environmentally friendly,
reliable and fun vehicles. Zipcar will add up to 650 Fords to its lineup
during this academic year and up to 1,000 Ford vehicles during the life
of the agreement.
“Today’s students are thinking differently about driving and
transportation than they have in the past,” said Bill Ford, executive
chairman, Ford Motor Company. “This program enables today’s new drivers
to experience our latest fuel-efficient vehicles, while helping them
reduce their cost of living and help relieve congestion on campus. We’re
looking forward to making Ford a staple of their college experience.”
Thanks to Ford, Zipcar will offer $10 off the $35 annual membership
fee for the first 100,000 new University members who sign up for Zipcar,
plus $1 off the hourly rate for the first 1 million hours of use on any
of the new Ford vehicles at select colleges and universities.
New Ford vehicles start arriving on campuses this week. The program,
which could generate 2 million hours behind the wheel of Ford vehicles
for college-age drivers, also helps reduce parking demand, congestion
and emissions.
The new generation of Ford vehicles, especially the all-new Ford
Focus, is a good match for Zipcar’s environmentally minded student
members who demand high fuel efficiency and value performance and style
balanced with reliability and utility.
The stylish new Focus delivers 40 mpg on the highway plus leading new
technologies such as Ford SYNC® – all important attributes to today’s
smart, environmentally minded college students.
Scott Griffith, chairman and CEO, Zipcar, says the alliance will help
Ford and Zipcar prepare the next generation of drivers for the future
of urban transportation while helping the companies better understand
the unique preferences of the college-age segment of the driving
population.
“We’ve had Zipcars on campuses for more than eight years and as a
result we’ve learned a lot from the next generation of drivers. We’re
targeting a generation that only knows how to buy music by the song so
paying for a car by the hour is a natural for them. Students are smart
consumers who appreciate Zipcar’s ‘Wheels when you want them’ approach,”
said Griffith. “We believe this alliance will drive home the value of
using Zipcar and the fun of driving a Ford when students need a ride.
With reduced membership fees and hourly rates sponsored by Ford, they
can save even more money on sustainable transportation, without
sacrificing the freedom – and fun – of having a car on campus.”
Zipcar has established partnerships with more than 250 universities
throughout North America, including Harvard University, Yale University,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, the
University of Southern California, the University of California –
Berkeley, Loyola Marymount University, Florida State University, the
University of Michigan, Michigan State University and George Washington
University, among others.
Affordable, fun and sustainable transportation for U.S. university students
Zipcar provides an affordable and convenient transportation solution for
college students living on campus with all-inclusive rates that cover
parking, gas, insurance, maintenance and roadside assistance.
While Zipcar offers more than 30 makes and models of vehicles to its
members, final vehicle selections for its fleet are heavily scrutinized.
Members weigh in on brand preferences through annual surveys, and
Zipcar reviews total cost of ownership for each new model. Leading
technology and fuel economy in the Ford Focus and Escape were persuasive
factors in selecting Ford for this collaboration.
Car-sharing programs such as Zipcar are increasingly becoming
students’ first experiences behind the wheel. According to the U.S.
Department of Transportation, the number of drivers between the ages of
16 and 19 declined by 19 percent from 1978 to 2008.
According to an independent study commissioned by Zipcar in 2010,
almost half of all 18- to 34-year-old drivers are driving less, and
nearly two-thirds would drive less if alternative transportation options
were available.
The study of licensed drivers revealed that 45 percent of Millennials
(ages 18 to 34) said they had consciously made an effort to reduce how
much they drive, and 64 percent would drive less if alternative options
including public transportation, car sharing or convenient carpooling
(ride sharing) were available in their area.
“Millennials appear to have developed a very different view of the
automobile. Access and convenience are their top priorities, meaning
that Zipcar and its alliances with companies such as Ford can deliver
what they want easily, affordably and with the technology and
sustainability they truly value,” said Griffith.
Check out the all-new Ford Focus at work in the Zipcar fleet: http://fordvideo.wieck.com/search?q=zipcar
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