VIDEO: Zipcar has $1 billion dreams... and 46 members per car?

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VIDEO: Zipcar has $1 billion dreams... and 46 members per car?

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, Transportation Alternatives, Green Daily

Zipcar's $1 billion ambition - Click above to watch the video after the break

How many cars do you think Zipcar owns around the world? Did you know it was 6,500?

How big could Zipcar one day become? How about a $1 billion company?



These are two of the numbers mentioned in an interview that CEO Scott Griffith gave to Fortune recently. Griffith also said that, today, Zipcar has about 300,000 members, which give us an average of about 46 members per car. That seems incredibly high. In order to reach the $1 billion goal, Zipcar will need to get to the one million member level, Griffith said.



Before that happens, Griffith needs to convince a lot more organizations to adopt the Zipcar model. We know about how Zipcar can work for individuals - basically, easy car rentals by the hour - but Griffith is more excited about the behind-the-scenes operations. For example, people need to clean and maintain all 6,500 vehicles, right? The backend work that Zipcar is doing today to make sure there is time in the schedule for all of these cars to be prepped and ready for customers when they want them will help tremendously as the company begins to add more and more electric vehicles to the fleet. Griffith says it is just a step away from scheduling maintenance to finding time to recharge electric cars:

Our system is going to integrate very well with electri...

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Nissan prices 2010 Rogue at $20,340, offers new value package

I've always been a fan of this crossover.  Will have to check it out in person. 

-MP

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Nissan prices 2010 Rogue at $20,340, offers new value package

Filed under: Car Buying, Crossover, Nissan

2010 Nissan Rogue - Click above for high-res image gallery

Nissan has just announced updated pricing information on its smallest crossover, the Rogue. New for 2010 is a so-called 360° Value Package that adds such niceties as 16-inch aluminum wheels, privacy glass, auto-dimming rearview mirror with rearrview monitor, rear spoiler and chrome grille. At $1,040, the Value Package saves you a cool thousand bucks over the cost of these items if purchase separately.

Base versions of the Nissan Rogue will run $20,340 - a reasonable increase of $1,090 over the CUV's starting price in 2008 - its first year on the market - and stepping up to an all-wheel drive model will cost you $21,540. A top-of-the-line Rogue SL AWD with 17-inch alloys begins at $23,130. All Rogue models come standard with the same powertrain: a 170-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine mated up to a CVT automatic transmission. Want to know more? Click past the break for the official press release.

Gallery: 2010 Nissan Rogue

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Study: GPS systems with real-time traffic can save drivers four days per year, cut emissions by 21%

Study: GPS systems with real-time traffic can save drivers four days per year, cut emissions by 21%

Would you consider the Think City EV?

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Think Emerges From Bankruptcy, City EV Ready to Launch

via AllCarsElectric.com on 8/27/09

The saga of the Think City EV has turned a new page. During the recent financial meltdown, the small Norwegian electric car maker had to enter bankruptcy protection though buoyed in part by investments from EnerDel, the US-based battery maker that would be supplying lithium-ion cells for the car. It wasn't clear if the Think City small EV ...

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Final tally for Cash for Clunkers: 700,000 sales, $2.877B

That works out to be about $4,110 per sale.

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Final tally for Cash for Clunkers: 700,000 sales, $2.877B

via Autoblog by Chris Shunk on 8/26/09

Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal
Toyota Corolla most bought, Ford Explorer 4WD most traded


After one month, an extra $2 billion in funding and an absolute mess of paperwork, Cash for Clunkers has finally petered out. The final numbers are in and the program resulted in 700,000 sales totaling $2.877 billion in $3,500 and $4,500 vouchers handed out at dealerships across the nation. An additional $100 million was set aside for administration costs, or about $144 for every claim processed, leaving $23 million in the kitty.

In all, 84% of participating customers traded in pickup trucks, and 59% ended up with passenger cars. The other 41% was split up among crossovers, SUVs and new pickups. The Transportation Department says the program resulted in a 58% improvement in fuel economy for the new vehicles, as the outgoing models averaged 15.8 mpg while the new models averaged 24.9 mpg.

At the onset of C4C, Detroit automakers appeared to be getting a sizable share of turn-ins, but import automakers gained ground on the domestics as the program wore on. Ford, GM and Chrysler combined to take 38.6% of overall Clunkers transactions with Chrysler coming in last with an unimpressive 6.6% chunk.

The Detroit Free Press is reporting that the Toyota Corolla was the most purchased car under the program, followed by the Honda Civic and Toyota Camry. The Ford Focus and Escape were the only domestics to make the top 10, though Edmunds has pointed out that the government vehicle counting process is outdated, messing up the top 10 tally. The Ford Explorer 4WD was the most turned in vehicle under C4C, while the 2WD Explorer finished 4th. Hit the jump to check out the ten most purchased and most turned in vehicles under the Clunkers program.

[Source: Detroit News, Detroit Free Press | Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty ]
Continue reading Final tally for Cash for Clunkers: 700,000 sales, $2.877B

Final tally for Cash for Clunkers: 700,000 sales, $2.877B originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[PODCAST] Very anxious podcasting

GetThisShowOnTheRoad Aug 26, 2009.mp3 - Click Here to Download

David Patton and Mathew Passy discuss texting while driving, electric car charging anxiety, replacing the MPG standards, shifting which side of the road you drive on and Bob Dylan GPS

GM dropping corporate logo from cars

REPORT: GM dropping corporate emblems for 2010. Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges... via Autoblog

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Check Out The Car Spy

The Car Spy. Now that's an AWESOME gig.

Yahoo!

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=15118229

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Yahoo! Video

This is the kind of forward thinking we need here in the states

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New places to "refuel" your car: onboard a ferry

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Europe/EU, Th!nk (Think)

Electric A!D, the northern European electric car advocates, have taken a baby blue Think City EV from Norway to Denmark "without any more hassle than if you where to travel with an ICE car." One of the reasons things went smoothly is that the Stena Line ferry service from Oslo, Norway to Frederikshavn, Denmark now offers an electric car charging service on board. Richard and crew were the first to get their vehicle charged during the journey. Recharging a car while it's being carried? Brilliant. Amtrak should be listening.



Leaving the boat with a full pack meant that the showcase events in Denmark went off without a hitch, and Electirc A!D was able to get a few more electric vehicle converts, including the mayor of Norddjurs, a county that recently started building a big bioethanol plant.



In the comments on Electric A!D's blog, one reader noted a side benefit of sending an electric car as small as the Kewet Buddy on the ferry (in this case, Fjordline): it can be shipped as cargo!



[Source: Electric A!D]

New places to "refuel" your car: onboard a ferry originally appeared on

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Sporty Prius …not bad

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REPORT: Upcoming Toyota Prius Coupe to get Italian design

Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota

Adding additional fuel to the ongoing speculation that Toyota will produce a sporty coupe version of its world-beating Prius hybrid hatchback is a new report from Japan's Best Car Magazine (via 4 Wheels News) that suggests the new model could be topped with a tailored sheetmetal suit courtesy of a famed Italian designer like Pininfarina or Italdesign Giugiaro.



As is often the case with such rumors, Best Car has seen fit to include a rendering of what a two-door Prius may look like - which is (rather predictably) kind of like a half-melted lozenge - but there's certainly no indication that the actual car would look anything like this bit of rendered speculation.



If Toyota does indeed offer up a hybrid Prius Coupe, it would do battle with the upcoming Honda CR-Z, which is expected to debut in production form this fall at the Tokyo Motor Show. Previous reports had suggested that Toyota could either bump up the power of the 1.8-liter four cylinder powerplant from the Prius or switch to the 2.4-liter unit from the Camry Hybrid for its sporty coupe.



[Source: 4 Wheels News]

REPORT: Upcoming Toyota Prius Coupe to get Italian design originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Would You Wear These?

Honda and FILA team up to create new line of racing shoes.

Not as cool as Pilotis

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Honda and FILA team up to create new line of racing shoes

via Autoblog by Jonny Lieberman on 8/20/09

Filed under: Motorsports, Honda, Design/Style

Honda Racing shoe series by FILA - click above image for high-res gallery

Actually, it would be more accurate to call the fruits of this collaboration driving shoes, as these five new Honda Racing shoes aren't covered in flame-retardant Nomex. But no matter -- FILA is releasing five new shoes inspired by "Honda Racing's commitment to fulfill every car enthusiast's racing dreams."

When you cut past the marketing hoopla, what you have are a new set of footwear packed with driver friendly features such as floor mat-grabbing cupped polyurethane heels, "ballistic" mesh for breathability, low profile outsoles for better pedal feel and and light weight that helps reduce fatigue. The new shoes are available in either low or mid top and four different colors. Hey, why not? The Honda/FILAs are even kinda good looking. And come to think of it, our must-have-'cause-we're auto-journos Pilotis are getting a bit long-in-the-tooth.

Gallery: Honda FILA Racing Shoes

[Source: Pitch Engine]

Honda and FILA team up to create new line of racing shoes originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Happy to See Saab Will Live On

When I was in high school I lusted after a Saab 900 Turbo SPG. I've been sad to see GM let the brand get all muddled up as it tried to compete with BMW and other premium brand. I think Subaru has taking their place as an auto maker known for cool, quirky vehicles.

This Probably Qualifies for Cash-For-Clunkers

From ThereiFixedit.com
There, I Fixed It: Epic Kludges + Jury Rigs » Seven Wheel Drive

Now Thats A Nice Parking Job

Saw this originally on Tech-E-Blog and had to share it with the GTSOTR fans.

[PODCAST] Superheros of the highway

GetThisShowOnTheRoad Aug 19, 2009.mp3

David Patton and Mathew Passy discuss the end of cash for clunkers and some other clunker related news, Heathrow plans to bring an auto mobile and driving like a jerk pays off.

[PODCAST] Take 2

GetThisShowOnTheRoad Aug 13, 2009.mp3

David Patton and Mathew Passy discuss the Chevy Volt and its 230 MPG claim, a judge dismissing red light camera charges for a whole town, classic cars lost in the cash for clunkers program, the Hyundai Equus and this.

[PODCAST] First Podcast

GetThisShowOnTheRoad Aug 6, 2009.mp3

David Patton and Mathew Passy team up again to podcast in a new free form podcast called GetThisShowOnTheRoad. First one was fun, see you next week