Zipcar, Ford go to Canadian Campuses

Zipcar and Ford of Canada have teamed up together to accelerate the use of car sharing throughout Canada. The national partnership is also designed to introduce a new generation of motorists to Ford vehicles. This is an expansion of the Zipcar and Ford programme that the pair launched last August in the US, and it establishes Ford as the largest university vehicle partner for Zipcar – reaching students at 11 campuses in Vancouver and Toronto.

Zipcar delivers a convenient, affordable transport solution for students who live on campus. The service includes all rates – parking, insurance, maintenance, roadside assistance, fuel and up to 200km of driving. The car sharing network has established partnerships with over 250 universities in North America. By 2012, the vehicles will make up 60% of the Zipcar fleet at universities in North America.

The Zipcar and Ford of Canada programme will help introduce the highly fuel-efficient Escape and Focus, which are part of the Zipcar reliable and environmentally friendly fleet, to a new generation of drivers. This programme also helps cut down on congestion, emissions and parking demand by providing access to a vehicle on campus without students having to bring one with them. The new Ford cars will start arriving on campuses this month, and most will be located within 1km of the universities’ grounds.

University students registering for a Zipcar membership for the first time will get $10 off the annual membership fee of $35. However, this will only be available to the first 5,000 members. In addition to this discount, they will also get $1 off the hourly rate for the first 50,000 hours that they use any of the new Ford cars.

Ford’s new generation of vehicles – particularly the Focus – are a good match for the environmentally considerate student members who demand value performance, style and high fuel efficiency balanced with utility and reliability. The Focus offers 4.8L/100km on motorways and features leading new technologies like Ford SYNC – an important attribute for the smart, environmentally considerate university students of today.

Although Zipcar has over 30 vehicle makes and models, the final selection of vehicles is heavily scrutinised. Members vote on brand preferences in annual surveys, and the total cost of ownership for every new model is reviewed by the company. Fuel economy and leading technology were persuasive factors in the Escape and Focus.

Zipcar chairman chief executive Scott Griffith says that students can save even more on sustainable transportation due to reduced hourly rates and membership fees sponsored by Ford of Canada – all without sacrificing the freedom of having a vehicle on campus. They are targeting a generation that buys music by the song, so paying by the hour for a car is natural to them. This alliance offers the best of both worlds to students – a great car from Ford on demand.

Ford of Canada vice president of marketing Graeme Whickman says that student drivers today can experience the latest fuel-efficient vehicles with this programme, and at the same time, reduce their cost of living while addressing parking demand and congestion on campus. With Zipcar, they are allowing the next generation of motorists to experience the next generation of vehicles and transport. They look forward to making Ford a staple of students’ university experience.