Local Car Rental Executive Switches Gears to Car Sharing

Rob Guthrie Named Regional Vice President for Zipcar; Will Oversee Bay Area Operations for Nation's Largest Car Sharing Service

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 6 -- One of San Francisco's leading car rental industry executives has seen the green light of car sharing. Zipcar, the nation's largest provider of on-demand cars for use by the hour or day, today announced the appointment of Rob Guthrie as Regional Vice President for San Francisco, the company's first West Coast market. In his new role, Guthrie will report directly to Zipcar CEO Scott Griffith, and will oversee the rollout and operations of Zipcar in the region. Guthrie will also be responsible for the development and implementation of sales and marketing programs that will support the company's aggressive plans for growth in the Bay Area as well as unique member programs and services designed to further enhance the award-winning membership experience.

"In my five years of living and working in San Francisco, I have never seen more demand for alternatives to car ownership. As with most urban centers, our city is congested with slow moving traffic and parking is extremely limited," said Guthrie. "Zipcar's unique business model, superior self-service experience and low cost approach makes sense for residents and businesses in San Francisco -- regardless of income level -- who want the convenience of having access to a car without all the hassles and expense of owning one."

Guthrie brings over fifteen years of sales and management experience to Zipcar. Prior to joining the company, Rob was the District Manager for Hertz Local Edition in San Francisco where he worked for nearly five years, managing operations including B2B sales development. Guthrie was directly responsible for the company's rapid regional growth, making Hertz the #1 market leader in San Francisco's competitive car rental market. An avid supporter of car sharing, Guthrie decided to actively investigate Zipcar when he learned of their west coast expansion into the Bay Area.

"We welcome Rob as the newest member of the Zipcar team," said Scott Griffith, CEO of Zipcar. "His market development experience in San Francisco is something that we will leverage to our utmost advantage, and he will play a critical role in helping Zipcar become the city's leading car sharing service. Rob has the professional background and market knowledge that will enable us to communicate our messages and vision effectively to local residents, businesses and government officials."

"Prior to my arrival, Zipcar successfully developed car sharing as a new category of transportation that has many advantages over car ownership for urban residents in Metro New York, Boston, and Washington DC," said Rob Guthrie. "With Zipcar now in San Francisco, owning a car in the city will soon become an unnecessary luxury for savvy urbanites. Our early membership numbers are proof that residents and businesses are adopting the Zipcar service quickly and with open arms."

Zipcar provides the most convenient and cost effective car sharing solution in the Bay Area with low hourly and daily rates, discount plans and virtually no barrier to entry. Bay Area members are not required to pay deposits or monthly fees. 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, self-service access to more than 900 vehicles in all Zipcar cities using a "Zipcard" to simply unlock the door and drive away. Rates in San Francisco start at around $7 per hour and $51 per day, with gas, parking, insurance, mileage and XM Satellite Radio service included. Special business rates are also available for small to large-sized companies looking for a more convenient and cost-effective way of providing transportation for their employees. To join, Bay Area residents simply need to have a valid drivers license, be 21+ and meet safe driving standards.

About Zipcar: Zipcar (http://www.zipcar.com/) was founded in 1999. Since 2000, when Zipcars first hit the road, over 50,000 consumers and business drivers ages 21+ have joined. Zipcar currently operates more than 900 vehicles in ten states including metropolitan Boston, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, DC. In July 2005, Zipcar secured $10 million in funding, led by Benchmark Capital, to begin aggressive expansion to become the country's first national car sharing service. As part of this expansion, Zipcar recently launched West Coast operations, with plans to bring its service to additional major metropolitan areas in the near future.