Zipcar to add 1,000 Ford cars to college campuses, likely including University of Michigan
Vehicle sharing service Zipcar plans to add up to 1,000 Ford cars at more than 250 college campuses — likely including the University of Michigan — as part of a two-year agreement announced this morning.
Zipcar plans to add 1,000 Ford cars to its fleet at college campuses, including the Ford Focus.
Photo courtesy of Ford and Zipcar
“Today’s students are thinking differently about driving and transportation than they have in the past,” Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. said in a statement. "This program enables today’s new drivers to experience our latest fuel-efficient vehicles, while helping them reduce their cost of living and help relieve congestion on campus. We’re looking forward to making Ford a staple of their college experience.”
Zipcar already has a fleet of 20 cars based on U-M's campus and another eight stationed elsewhere in Ann Arbor — though the company has been considering an expansion of its local fleet.
It was not immediately clear how many Ford cars Zipcar plans to add in Ann Arbor. Officials from Zipcar and U-M were not immediately available to comment, and an official from Ann Arbor's getDowntown program did not know how many cars would be added locally.
Zipcar said it would cut its annual membership fee from $35 to $25 for the first 100,000 new university program members to register. Zipcar members pay a yearly membership fee and hourly fees to rent cars.
Contact AnnArbor.com's Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's newsletters.
Comments
Dog Guy
Thu, Sep 1, 2011 : 4:29 a.m.
For my fellow tax parasites I should mention that a Ford, being an American car, has a lever protruding from the left of the steering column. This lever when pushed up activates flashing lights on the front and rear of the right side of the car; when pushed down it activates flashing lights on the front and rear of the left side of the car. Should you accidentally activate this lever, do not be alarmed at the flashing lights. Adjust the lever to a middle position and the flashing lights will cease. I am sure that the Zipcar Fords will have deeply tinted windows so no one can recognize you in a domestic car.