Plug-In Forum

Central London is about to welcome an all-electric vehicle pod, as recently announced by Zipcar, the world’s largest car-sharing service provider.  As part of a pilot program, the pod will be used to test the profitability and durability of plug-in cars as they are incorporated within their fleet.  The announcement comes soon after the company partnered with Westminster City Council, who is backing the car club with £200,000.  As part of further incentives, members will also enjoy one hour of free parking and exemptions from various fees.

The new electric vehicles — a plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius and Citroën c1 — will be placed behind Westminster City Hall, in Spencer Street, where its dedicated EV recharging bay is located.   From there, Zipcar members are being enticed to experience their first-ever  ’zero-carbon journey’.

London’s initial car-sharing service provider began offering hybrid cars in 2003.  Within almost six years, Zipcar was able to add a thousand green vehicles to its fleet, and they now continue to expand their network of charging stations and vehicle availability.

In San Francisco, circa February of this year, Zipcar launched a test which might have had far-reaching effects within the company.  Converted Toyota Prius plug-ins were distributed to pods across the entire Bay Area.    As reported by Zipcar, over 85% of customers told the company that they would be interested in driving plug-ins after taking part in the program.  Also mentioned was that the vehicles were operated by battery-power for 75% of the miles that were driven. Management surely had it in mind that if the test-run were to prove successful, they could bring the concept to the crowded streets of London.

Also of note is the AltCar, another car-sharing project, which offered the Maya 300 vehicle about 2 weeks ago. So far the AltCar is a small-scale project, founded by the Maryland Science Center.  ExxonMobil holds a stake in the battery makers responsible for the Maya 300, and hence, they have funded the AltCar with $500,000. The Maya 300 would take around six to eight hours to charge.  It asserts to possess a range of 60 to 120 miles and a not-so-impressive top speed of 25 miles per hour.

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