The Zipcar business model is ingenious - you pay for a car to use when you need it and only for the time you need it. You then drop it off at any Zipcar lot and you are done. However, the vehicles are not always necessarily eco-friendly. Today I received an exciting press release on a new pilot program being launched by Zipcar. The company will be testing the use of plug-in hybrid Zipcars in the city of San Francisco.

“The plug-in hybrid for the San Francisco Zipcar fleet is a Toyota Prius converted with the Hymotion(TM) L5 Plug-In Conversion Module (PCM) provided by A123 Systems. The addition of the Hymotion L5 PCM battery provides the Prius with up to 30 - 40 miles of electrically assisted driving on a single charge from the utility grid. During those first 30 - 40 miles, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by up to 66 percent and fuel economy of up to 100 mpg or greater can be achieved. When the L5 PCM battery is depleted, the Prius automatically reverts to standard HEV operation, so driving range need not be a concern.” (Source: PR Newswire)

I hope that this idea takes off and Zipcar expands the plug-in model to its other locations as it could definitely be one of the best green motoring options out there - if you don’t need your own car, why buy one?

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