Today, TCU launches a new partnership with Zipcar, Inc., the world’s leading car-sharing network, to offer a Zipcar car-sharing program on campus. The convenient transportation option is now available at an affordable rate 24 hours a day, seven days a week for students, faculty, and staff ages 18 andolder, as well as members of the local community ages 21 and over. The launch event will take place in front of Mary Couts Burnett Library from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Campus members can view one of the cars and receive information and giveaways on the program.

This year, TCU members can join for a $25 annual membership fee, with rates on campus Zipcar vehicles starting as low as $7.50 per hour and $69 per day. Gas, insurance, reserved parking spots, up to 180 miles of driving per day and roadside assistance are included in Zipcar rates. Cars can be reserved for as little as an hour or for multiple days. TCU students, faculty and staff can join at www.zipcar.com/tcu.

TCU will initially offer two vehicles, including Ford Focus and Honda Civic models, which will be located in campus lots. Zipcars are self-service and can be easily reserved and accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Participating members with smartphones, including iPhones and Android devices, may download the Zipcar mobile application to make reservations, lock and unlock the vehicles and honk thehorn to help locate the vehicle. Members can also use Zipcar’s “Reserve a Zipcar” app on Facebook to view available Zipcars and make, extend or cancel a reservation all from their Facebook account. Reservations can also be made over the phone or on Zipcar’s website.

"Zipcar will give TCU students who don’t have access to a car the freedom and flexibility to attend job interviews and participate in off-campus activities like internships," said Michael Serafino, general manager for Zipcar University. “At the same time, students and faculty members alike can be proud that they are reducing their environmental impact and lowering their carbon footprint by using alternative transportation methods like car-sharing.”

With the new Zipcar program available on campus, student organizations at TCU also now have the opportunity to participate in the “Students with Drive” grant program sponsored by Zipcar and Ford Motor Company, which provides students with free Zipcar memberships and driving credits to support student organizations on campus.

Through the Studentswith Drive grant program, Ford and Zipcar will provide $300,000 in grants to be awarded to student organizations at eligible Zipcar colleges and universities. The program is running now through April 2013 and will culminate with one student organization being awarded a grandprize of $5,000 in Zipcar credits, $10,000 cash for the student organization to put toward its cause and $10,000 to be awarded to the winning school. For more information and to participate in the program, students can visit the “Students with Drive” tab on Zipcar’s University Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ZipcarU.

Zipcar has established partnerships with other local universities including UT Dallas, Southern Methodist University and Rice University, along with more than 250 universities across the US. For more information and how to become a member of Zipcar at TCU, please visit www.zipcar.com/tcu.

About Zipcar
Zipcar is the world's leading car-sharing network with more than 730,000 members and 11,000 vehicles located in major metropolitan areas andcollege 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. Zipcar and the Zipcar logo are trademarks of Zipcar, Inc.