Ford has teamed up with Zipcar-the world’s biggest car-sharing network-to offer more sustainable and affordable transport to students at more than 250 university campuses across the US.
In signing a two year alliance, the car maker has agreed to supply a further 650 Fords to the Zipcar fleet over the coming academic year including models of the Focus and Escape cars.
Thanks to Ford, Zipcar will also 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 stylish new Focus delivers 40 mpg (according to US economy ratings) on the highway plus leading new technologies such as Ford SYNC – important attributes to today’s smart, environmentally minded college students. Zipcar chooses it cars carefully according to fuel economy and cost of ownership profiles, with Ford’s lowest emission Focus and Escape models ideally suited to roles as car club cars.
“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.”
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.
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.
