Zipcar, a system of rental cars, has begun purchasing new cars from Ford for use by Cal State Long Beach students
According to Elissa Thomas, rideshare coordinator at CSULB, Zipcar has named the new Ford Focus 2012 car Fonzie, after the character from the sitcom “Happy Days.”
Thomas said the Zipcars are available for use by any students who are 18 years or older as long as they have a valid driver’s license and a good driving record.
The car costs $8 per hour, or $66 per day — gas, insurance and roadside assistance are all included.
“It’s really cool that they would supply something like that for the students,” said Feliciano Reyes, a freshman who lives at the Residential Learning Center, where the car is located.
According to Colleen McCormick, public relations specialist at Zipcar, the company bought the new Fords after a two-year deal with the company.
“The strategic alliance was designed to help accelerate use of Zipcar across the U.S. and introduce a new generation of drivers to Ford vehicles,” McCormick said.
Zipcar will add up to 650 Fords to its list of cars this year and they hope to have the Fords at all 250 universities that have Zipcars on their campuses, McCormick said.
Although the 2012 Ford Focus was rated excellent for safety on usnews.rankingsandreviews.com, the website also mentioned that the car has not yet been tested by the federal government.
Ford Car Communications Manager Octavio Navarro confirmed the car had not been tested for safety by the federal government but said that it did receive the best possible safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Octavio also said that the Focus is a safe vehicle and that Kelly Blue Book named the Focus a top car for back to school and road trips.
Thomas views the new car as a solution that will help relieve parking and traffic congestion. She also called the car “green” because it gets 40 miles to the gallon.
Students save money by using Zipcar instead of having their own cars because they don’t have to pay for insurance and gas, said Thomas.
“The Ford commitment to building the most fuel-efficient cars in each class also resonates well with a generation who values the importance of sustainable living,” McCormick said. “Our university members want cars that are fun to drive and fuel-efficient — and that’s exactly what Ford is delivering.”
Fonzie became available to all students using Zipcar on Aug. 29 and is the newest car in the Zipcar lineup at CSULB.
Disclaimer: The Daily 49er is not responsible for Postings made on www.daily49er.wpengine.com. Persons commenting are solely responsible for Postings made on this website. Persons commenting agree to the Terms of Use of the website. If Postings do not abide by the Rules of Conduct or Posting Regulations as listed in the Postings Policy, the Daily 49er has all rights to delete Postings as it deems necessary. The Daily 49er strongly advises individuals to not abuse their First Amendment rights, and to avoid language suggestive of hate speech. This site also encourages users to make Postings relevant to the article or other Postings.