Recharge Wrap-up: Enterprise CarShare at DC Metrorail, NRC suggests ways to increase EV use
Oregon’s Chief EV Officer at the Department of Transportation has left to work for PlugShare. Ashley Horvat is now the California company’s vice president of strategic initiatives. Horvat was instrumental in creating Oregon’s portion of the West Coast Electric Highway and boosting EV tourism in the state through the “Oregon Electric Byways” initiative. She will now lead a consulting division at PlugShare, a company that offers a charging station locating website and app. Oregon officials haven’t said whether they’re considering someone new to step into the role of Chief EV Officer. Read more at Green Car Reports.
A study from the National Research Council suggests ways to improve the adoption of electric vehicles. The study finds (unsurprisingly) that reducing costs, improving battery technology and informing the consumer would help make plug-in cars more popular. The report urges the government to help create more universal charging options, spread knowledge about the benefits of EVs, fund research to create better and cheaper batteries, continue incentives to buyers as well as a host of other possible undertakings to remove barriers to EV deployment. It also suggests delaying additional investment in new public charging until further research into its relationship with increased EV usage. Read the press release from the National Research Council and read more at Green Car Congress and at Automotive News.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 21, 2015) – Today it was announced that Enterprise CarShare is partnering with Washington D.C. Metro at its Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia Metrorail stations.
By June 1, Enterprise will start by providing car sharing service at 125 Metro-owned parking spaces located in 45 Metrorail stations and, in the near future, will expand up to 190 spaces. “I am pleased that we can now offer more car-sharing vehicles at more Metrorail station parking facilities,” said Patrick Schmitt, Director of Parking at Metro. “This is a value-added service for our car share customers and I encourage them to sign up for the new Enterprise CarShare service today.”
The new locations are in addition to the more than 200 existing Enterprise CarShare locations in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Enterprise CarShare is a cost-effective alternative to car ownership, an environmentally-friendly and hassle-free supplement to public transit and – since it’s backed by Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s award-winning customer service – it also delivers convenience and reliability. As part of Enterprise CarShare’s special introductory offer, the annual fee and membership application cost (a $65 value) are being waived until July 31, 2015.
Enterprise CarShare vehicles will be available at the following stations:
Addison Road
Deanwood
Landover
Silver Spring
Anacostia
Dunn Loring
Largo Town Center
Southern Avenue
Benning Rd
East Falls Church
Minnesota Avenue
Suitland
Bethesda
Eisenhower Ave
Morgan Boulevard
Takoma
Braddock Road
Fort Totten
Naylor Road
Tenleytown
Branch Ave
Franconia Springfield
New Carrollton
Twinbrook
Brookland-CUA
Glenmont
Potomac Avenue
Van Dorn
Capitol Heights
Greenbelt
Prince George’s Plaza
Vienna
Cheverly
Grosvenor/Strathmore
Rhode Island Avenue
West Falls Church
College Park UMD
Huntington
Rockville
West Hyattsville
Congress Heights
King Street
Shady Grove
Wheaton
“Local residents will have even more easily accessible and affordable transportation options right where they need them,” said Michelle Bosch, Vice President and General Manager of Enterprise in the Washington, D.C. area. Enterprise CarShare first launched its Washington, D.C.-area car-sharing program in 2013. As a result of today’s announcement, Enterprise also will soon be helping to extend the reach of Metrorail and Metrobus and, by summer, will be offering nearly 300 car-sharing locations throughout the metro area and will continue to add locations based on customer demand and feedback.
This D.C. Metro partnership comes on the heels of the CarSharing Association’s announcement last week that Enterprise CarShare had joined the organization. This announcement was made during a 2015 Car Rental Show session titled, “The Convergence of Car Sharing and Car Rental,” which highlighted the important role that the car rental industry plays in the evolution of urban mobility.
Virtual Car
Last year, Enterprise CarShare’s Ryan Johnson also participated in a SXSW Eco panel discussion, “City Transit 411: Urban Myths & Urban Mobility,” which likewise focused on the urban transit evolution. In fact, Enterprise has been delivering transportation alternatives right where people live and work since 1957. Forty years later, Enterprise Rent-A-Car trademarked the term Virtual Car®, after recognizing the strength and energy of local service, regardless if it is for an hour, a day, a week or longer.
This intuitive neighborhood business model now features a wide variety of programs, including car rental, car leasing, vanpooling and car sharing. Enterprise continues to lead the neighborhood market with both car-rental and car-sharing options, and is renowned for offering affordable, accessible and flexible service in towns and cities of all sizes.
Today, Enterprise CarShare is a natural extension of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car network, which has more than 5,500 offices located within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population. This neighborhood network uniquely positions Enterprise to give consumers, businesses and government agencies unmatched flexibility and dependability in meeting local mobility needs.
Enterprise CarShare is now available in more than 35 U.S. states, Canada and the U.K., on nearly 100 university campuses and through 40 dedicated government and business accounts. During the past year alone, Enterprise CarShare reports its membership has increased by almost 100 percent and that it has launched more than 30 new programs in North America.
The Enterprise CarShare app for iPhone and Android users enables U.S. members to make or modify reservations, extend rentals and choose pickup locations, all from their mobile phone. Additional details about Enterprise CarShare are available by visiting www.enterprisecarshare.com, the Enterprise CarShare Facebook page, or by following @carshare on Twitter, or on Google+.
