CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Zipcar, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZIP), the world's leading car sharing network, today announced the expansion of its "Zipvan" pilot cargo van service, with additional vans in San Francisco as well as new service beginning in Boston and Washington, D.C. The Ford E-150 full size cargo vans offered through the service give consumers and small businesses a new and more affordable option for transporting items too bulky for cars and pickup trucks. The expansion of the pilot program comes as a result of the successful launch in San Francisco last November.

Starting this week, both Boston and Washington, D.C. will begin offering the Zipvan service, and both cities will soon be home to 15 Zipvans each. The program in San Francisco will now offer 20 vans. The vans are available for hourly or daily use with rates starting at $15.75 per hour and $109 per day. As with all vehicles in the Zipcar fleet, Zipvan pricing includes gas, insurance, parking, roadside assistance and up to 180 miles of driving per day.

"The strong demand of the Zipvan service in San Francisco has shown us that whether it's a MINI Cooper for a night out on the town or a cargo van to move apartments, members appreciate the ease and convenience of membership in the Zipcar network," said Scott Griffith, chairman and CEO of Zipcar. "We'll continue to evaluate the popularity, economics and network benefits stemming from this offering to determine whether to incorporate it into the Zipcar service across North America."

The Boston Zipvans will be added to 10 Zipcar locations throughout the city, including pods at the Belvedere Street Prudential Center Garage, Gainsborough Street in Fenway and at the intersection of Washington Street and Corey Road in Allston.

Zipvans in the Washington, D.C. area will be added to nine existing Zipcar pods, two of which are located in Virginia and Maryland. The pods of Zipcars located on Rhode Island Ave and 4th Avenue NE, at the Columbia Heights Metro and at Courthouse Metro in Virginia will each have two Zipvans available, along with their existing fleet of vehicles.

The Ford E-150 cargo vans include two up-front seats and over 230 cubic feet of cargo space – enough for a queen-sized mattress – enabling members to pick up furniture purchased from Craigslist or IKEA, transport musical equipment or move apartments. The all-inclusive low hourly rates on Zipvan vehicles can also help small businesses and community non-profits reduce their costs for transporting goods or supplies. For more information, visit www.zipvan.com.

About Zipcar

Zipcar is the world's leading car sharing network with approximately 673,000 members and 8,900 vehicles in urban areas and college campuses throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. 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 also available for media purposes.

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SOURCE Zipcar, Inc.

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