CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Zipcar, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZIP), the world's leading car sharing network, today announced the company's expansion into the city of Tacoma, WA. The Zipcar program will provide Tacoma residents, visitors and businesses with increased access to affordable, convenient transportation options that reduce congestion and emissions.

The Zipcar program will offer 10 vehicles, including Honda Insight Hybrid, Mazda 3, Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus models, six of which are to be located in downtown Tacoma. The vehicles downtown will be located in on-street parking spots and will be easily accessible by public transit. Locations include the intersection of South 11th Street and Pacific Avenue, the intersection of South 4th Street and St. Helens Avenue and near Tollefson Plaza.

"We're thrilled to begin offering Zipcar vehicles in Tacoma to provide more convenient and flexible access to our service for both new and existing members in this market," said Carla Archambault, general manager, Zipcar Seattle. "As with all of our members, our Tacoma Zipsters have access to our entire fleet of over 11,000 Zipcar vehicles located throughout the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom, delivering on our brand promise of 'wheels when you want them' whether they're home or visiting one of our other Zipcar markets."

The Zipcar program in Tacoma is available to local residents and visitors, as well as to employees of local businesses through the company's "Zipcar for Business" program that offers discounted driving Monday through Friday. Zipcar for Business helps businesses save money, meet environmental sustainability goals and reduce parking requirements by providing their employees with access to Zipcars for business needs and other uses.

"Tacoma is thrilled to welcome Zipcar to our community," said Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland. "We are a city that is committed to practical sustainability initiatives. Zipcar is a great addition to our urban core as we strive to improve it with flexible and affordable transportation options."

As an environmentally friendly transportation option, Zipcar will help to reduce Tacoma's carbon footprint. National studies have shown that each car shared takes 15 privately owned vehicles off the road, and that average vehicle miles traveled per driver is reduced by 40 percent when car owners switch to car sharing.

Pat McCarthy, the County Executive for Pierce County, said, "We know that Zipcar has been a popular option for students, faculty and staff at the University of Washington at Tacoma and at Pacific Lutheran University, and we're pleased to be expanding the availability of car sharing to Tacoma residents and businesses. We believe this sustainable and cost-effective transportation option will complement efforts to make Pierce County an even more environmentally and economically responsible place to live."

Gas, reserved parking spots, insurance, roadside assistance and up to 180 miles per day are included in the hourly and daily Zipcar rates. Members of the community who are interested in learning more about Zipcar are invited to check out the new cars in Tollefson Plaza from 8:00am until 2:00pm on Friday, Sept. 28. Zipcar representatives will be available to provide more information about Zipcar, give technology demonstrations and provide special offers for new members looking to join. For more information, including how to become a Zipcar member in Tacoma, please visit www.zipcar.com.

About Zipcar

Zipcar is the world's leading car sharing network with more than 730,000 members and 11,000 vehicles in urban areas and college campuses throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain and Austria. Zipcar offers more than 30 makes and models of self-service vehicles by the hour or day to residents and businesses looking for an alternative to the high costs and hassles of owning a car. More information is available at www.zipcar.com. Photos and b-roll footage are available for media purposes at www.zipcar.mediaroom.com.

Photos and b-roll footage are also available for media purposes.

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SOURCE Zipcar, Inc.

For further information: Colleen McCormick, Zipcar - Public Relations, +1-617-336-4342, [email protected]