<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> <h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><![if !vml]><img width=101 height=79 src="cid:image003.jpg@01CA0207.AD9C03B0" align=right hspace=12 v:shapes="Picture_x0020_1"><![endif]>The following is an interesting exchange about “green automotive technologies”, which we draw to your attention in reverse order for reasons you will see here. <o:p></o:p></h2> <h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><o:p> </o:p></h2> <h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'>The first piece (printed second here) is an article under the title “<a href="http://gas2.org/2009/07/10/zipcar-launches-all-electric-car-share-scheme-in-us/" title="Permanent Link: Zipcar Launches All-Electric Car-Share Scheme">Zipcar Launches All-Electric Car-Share Scheme</a>” which appeared yesterday 10 July in “gas2.0 biofuels, oil, a revolution”.  Looks to me like a basic cut and paste of a new releases by Zipcar. (Fair enough!)<o:p></o:p></h2> <h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><o:p> </o:p></h2> <h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'>The second piece, a commentary to that article by our old  friends over at City CarShare in San Francisco (Hey, we love Zipcar too!) is more interesting in that it provides broader context on “green vehicles” (“The only good green vehicle is a shared green vehicle”)  For that reason we print it first.  <o:p></o:p></h2> <h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><o:p> </o:p></h2> <h2 style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'>(Thanks City CarShare, if you recall it was seven long years ago that my follow jurors and I chose you as one of three co-winners of the top award of the Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities” Clearly we did not make a mistake back then,  and how great to have you still out there and doing your bit for our planet.)<o:p></o:p></h2> <o:p> </o:p> Source: <a href="http://gas2.org/category/cars/electric-cars-evs/">http://gas2.org/category/cars/electric-cars-evs/</a>  ( It is instructive  to work ones way down the chain behind www.gas2.org. True to their title: EVs and alternative fuels are up at the top of their list. Fair enough!)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Eric Britton<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> PS. “The only good green vehicle is a shared green vehicle” is a phrase that was, to the best of my memory, first uttered by John Wayne in his immortal environmental film The Green Berets (1968). What is generally forgotten was that his full phrase was “The only good green vehicle is a shared green vehicle. And a horse.”  Funny the way that we tend to truncate complexity.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> PPS. July is carsharing month on World Streets. Have you made your contribution yet? We are waiting for you (and Big John is too.)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div style='border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in'> <o:p> </o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <cite><a href="http://citycarshare.org">Anita</a></cite> said on <a href="http://gas2.org/2009/07/10/zipcar-launches-all-electric-car-share-scheme-in-us/comment-page-1/#comment-90713" title="Comment permalink">July 10th, 2009 at 10:48 pm</a> <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> City CarShare, a San Francisco nonprofit car sharing organization, is pleased to see that Zipcar is integrating more fuel-efficient cars into its fleet. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> There are a few inaccuracies in the article, however, which we feel compelled to highlight. For example, this article is incorrect in stating that Zipcar was the first to introduce a hybrid into a car share fleet. City CarShare, a leader in introducing green vehicles, introduced hybrids into our fleet in early 2002. We also had eight Ford Think electric vehicles in our fleet in 2002, which were recalled along with all of the Ford Think EVs (we also experienced charging issues described in the article). This year we introduced two hybrid plug-in vehicles - we can’t claim to be the first, however, since Autoshare (Toronto) and HourCar (Minneapolis) were first in North America. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> While increasing the number of hybrids that Zipcar has in its worldwide fleet is commendable, we hope to see Zipcar continue to increase the percentage of hybrids in its fleet and, for that matter, to include only fuel-efficient and top-rated low-emission vehicles. For City CarShare, and many other independent car share providers, our vehicles are at the top of their class for fuel-efficiency and low emissions, with hybrids comprising over 1/3 of our fleet and growing. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> As Zipcar provides more eco-sensitive cars - and we hope to see this trend continue - we also encourage them to promote ‘less driving’ by their members, in contrast to their current advertising campaign, which promotes driving as much as you want as long as you return the car. If pursued, these efforts would lead to fewer miles of travel for their customers, reducing total emissions and congestion in the areas they operate. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Finally, for those interested, there are approximately 30 independent car share providers in North America, working in their communities to reduce car ownership and driving. Many have contributed to, and adhere to, the Car Share Industry Code of Ethics, which can be found at <a href="http://www.carsharingindustry.org">http://www.carsharingindustry.org</a><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div style='border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in'> <o:p> </o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <a href="http://gas2.org/2009/07/10/zipcar-launches-all-electric-car-share-scheme-in-us/" title="Permanent Link: Zipcar Launches All-Electric Car-Share Scheme">Zipcar Launches All-Electric Car-Share Scheme</a><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> By <a href="http://greenoptions.com/author/andrewwilliams">Andrew Williams</a>. Source: <a href="http://gas2.org/category/cars/electric-cars-evs/">http://gas2.org/category/cars/electric-cars-evs/</a> <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> US-based car-share giant <a href="http://zipcar.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=132" target="_blank" title="zipcar ev">Zipcar Inc. has launched its first ever Electric Vehicle Pod</a>, featuring an all-electric Citroen C1 and a Plug-In Toyota Prius. The vehicles, among the most efficient and technologically advanced on the road today, can be hired by the hour for a fraction of the cost of owning one.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The company figures that EVs are ideally suited for early, large-scale use in Zipcar’s car sharing platform since the average Zipcar trip lasts just under four hours and less than 25 miles, well within the range of a typical EV.<o:p></o:p> <ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc> <li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'>» See also: <a href="http://gas2.org/2009/07/10/seattle-will-be-the-leader-in-clean-energy-and-electric-vehicles/">Seattle will be the Leader in Clean Energy and Electric Vehicles</a><o:p></o:p></li> <li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'>» <a href="http://gas2.org/feed/">Get Gas 2.0 by RSS</a> or <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=gas2/org">sign up by email</a>.<o:p></o:p></li> </ul> <o:p> </o:p> In a press release last weekend, Scott Griffith, Chairman and CEO of the company, the world’s largest car-sharing scheme said: “Since early in this decade, Zipcar has been integrating alternative vehicles into the fleet - giving our members the opportunity to push the envelope and evaluate a range of advanced-vehicle technologies. Our proprietary car sharing technology platform allows us to manage a variety of cutting-edge vehicles, serving hundreds of thousands of Zipsters who benefit from convenience, cost savings and a commitment to reducing carbon emissions.”<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Zipcar was an early adopter of alternative fuel technologies, and in 2003 became the first car sharing company to offer hybrids to its members. The following year, they teamed up with Toyota to offer all-electric RAV 4’s. In the last five years, Zipcar has added a respectable 1,000 hybrids to the fleet, more than any other car-sharing company, and estimates more than 100,000 unique members have driven an EV or hybrid.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> With all good wishes,<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Eric Britton <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> | <a href="mailto:editor@worldstreets.org">Editor</a> | <a href="http://www.worldstreets.org/">World Streets</a> | <a href="http://www.newmobility.org/">The New Mobility Agenda </a> | Paris  | +331 4326 1323 | Skype newmobility  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> </div> </body> </html>