Zipcar Survey Indicates Torontonians Fed Up With High Gas Prices; Exploring Alternatives to Car Ownership

Respondents declare recent changes in transportation behaviour permanent, even if gas prices fall.

TORONTO, CANADA (JULY 6, 2006) — Torontonians are fed up with high gas prices and ready for change according to an informal survey conducted by Zipcar, Toronto's new alternative to car ownership. The survey, which polled Toronto residents about their transportation behaviour, was conducted on downtown city streets this week as part of a launch event to celebrate Zipcar's arrival in Toronto. The event also featured a parade to showcase the hot new Zipcar Toronto fleet and an irreverent attack on fuel costs that invited Torontonians to 'take a whack at high gas prices' by pitting sledgehammers against an old gas-guzzling car.

More than half of Torontonians surveyed on the street said their biggest complaint about owning a car is the soaring price of gas. When asked how gas prices have affected their transportation behaviour, 60 percent said they have been driven to use alternatives such as car sharing, public transportation and biking with increasing frequency. Of those respondents, 75 percent indicated they would continue using these alternatives even if the price of gas were to fall. 87 percent of respondents who had not already tried car sharing said they were very likely to try it this summer to see if it meets their transportation needs.

Hundreds of Torontonians have already made the move to Zipcar's car sharing service, which offers Toronto residents and businesses a convenient, cost-effective and greener alternative to car ownership. Zipcar cites the high price of gas as a significant reason behind the growing demand for its service. "At Zipcar, we can attribute up to 50 percent of our new membership applications to the rise in fuel costs," says CEO Scott Griffith.

A recent opt-in survey of 2,322 Zipcar members in the U.S. shows that urbanites are more than ready to embrace alternative transportation, like their Toronto counterparts, rather than continue being gouged at the pump. A whopping 77 percent of U.S. respondents indicated that skyrocketing gas prices have driven them to seek alternatives such as car sharing, biking, walking and public transportation. This change in behaviour may be permanent, with 86 percent of those polled saying they would continue to use alternative modes of transportation even if gas prices decline. "Of course no one likes high gas prices," says Griffith. "But this survey tells us that eco-friendly behaviour changes brought on by high gas costs are likely to remain permanent and that significant change is on the horizon."

In Toronto, Zipcar already operates nearly 60 cars in 30 convenient locations and plans to double its fleet within the next six months. This growth will have a significant positive impact on the environment - recent studies by Zipcar and government transportation agencies indicate that each Zipcar takes 20 privately owned vehicles off the road.

About Zipcar
With 60,000 consumer and business drivers, Zipcar is North America's largest car sharing service. The company currently operates 1,500 vehicles in 11 states and provinces, including metropolitan New York, Boston, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Toronto and Washington, DC. With Zipcar's technology, accessing and using a Zipcar is as easy as getting cash from an ATM. In minutes or up to a year in advance, members can reserve Zipcars online or by phone, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Zipcar members have automated access to Zipcars using a "Zipcard" to simply unlock the door and drive away. With Zipcar, gas, parking and insurance are always included. For more information, visit www.zipcar.com.