ZipCar is once again in focus but this time, it is because of their first-ever Electric Vehicle Pod. These new vehicles are among the most efficient and technologically advanced on the road today and are available to members by the hour for a fraction of the cost of owning one.

“Since early in this decade, Zipcar has been integrating alternative vehicles into the fleet — giving our members the opportunity to push the envelope and evaluate a range of advanced-vehicle technologies,” said Scott Griffith, chairman and CEO of Zipcar. “Our proprietary car sharing technology platform allows us to manage a variety of cutting-edge vehicles, serving hundreds of thousands of Zipsters who benefit from convenience, cost savings and a commitment to reducing carbon emissions.”

With the uncertainty as far as reliability and feasibility of owning one still up in the air, people who want to go places can still do so by trying out this alternative. Apparently a lot of issues such as charging issues and the length at where they can go is still unresolved so why worry if you have ZipCar to help you out for now?

(Source) Press

Tags: advanced vehicle technologies, cutting edge, electric car, electric vehicle, feasibility, new vehicles, pod, reducing carbon emissions, technology platform, zipcar

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One thing definite in vehicles these days, added strains on the engine lead to fluctuating fuel consumption. Like in the use of car air conditioning, you can bet that they add to the load of the car engine, perhaps upping the fuel consumption of a car since they are needed to mediate the in-car temperature

As far as helping out the cooling systems in cars, tints and films have been known to lower that burden. With an adjustable thermostat, the load on the car engine is diminished and hence lower. So with that in mind, Southwest Technologies offers the XIR Films.

These infrared reflective glass using XIR film technology for all new vehicles helps a lot in improving fuel efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. The XIR film is laminated with uncoated glass and enables any automotive glass manufacturer to produce IR reflective glass without the need to invest in tens of millions of dollars in glass coating equipment.

XIR film also makes IR reflective glass cost-effective for low-to-mid volume model runs and for aftermarket replacement glass that otherwise could never justify the fixed costs associated with glass coating production.

“Standardizing on IR reflective glass enables smaller AC systems for all vehicle models,” Capovilla added. “This not only justifies the cost premium of the glass but also makes it a value-added feature for consumers who are increasingly seeking options to reduce their impact on the environment.”

(Source) Press

Tags: ac systems, adjustable thermostat, automotive glass, car air conditioning, car engine, cooling systems, film technology, fuel consumption, fuel efficiency, glass coating, glass manufacturer, mid volume, new vehicles, reducing carbon emissions, reflective glass, replacement glass, technology aim, tints, vehicle models, volume model

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