There’s a new option available for California residents who want to drive an electric car. The Honda Fit EV has been added to Zipcar’s car-sharing fleets in San Francisco. Zipcar offers the Fit EV for rent for just $8 per hour, just like its other vehicles. Last April, Honda inked a deal to provide new cars to Zipcar such as the Insight hybrid and CR-V crossover. With the addition of the Honda Fit EV in San Francisco, it furthers the goal of the two companies to add more low-emission vehicles to the car sharing fleet. Zipcar also aims to add the 2014 Honda Accord plug-in hybrid. In January 2011, Zipcar started to offer the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid to its fleets. In a statement, Zipcar president Mark Norman said that adding the Honda Fit EVs into the Zipcar fleet enables its members to get behind the wheel of one of the most technologically-advanced vehicles on the road while minimizing the impact to the environment. The Honda Fit EV is based on the regular Fit hatchback; however, its four-cylinder gasoline engine was replaced by an electric motor/generator with an output of 123 hp and 188 lb-ft of torque. Instead of the gas tank, it is powered by a 20-kWh lithium-ion battery that allows for an 82-mile driving range for each battery charge. Honda said that it takes only three hours to get the battery fully charged by using a 240-volt charger. Even if customers can’t buy a Fit EV outright, the car is offered in California and Oregon with a three-year lease that has a monthly cost of $389.
Honda Fit EV now added to Zipcar’s car-sharing fleets in San Francisco
by Andrew Christian, Email, 19 Sep, 2012
2013 Honda Fit EV
