Zipcar Hosts 'Drive-In, Don't Drive Out' Event to Take Clunkers and Gas Guzzlers Off Chicago Streets

Chicagoans Invited to Watch 'An Inconvenient Truth' and Donate 'Inconvenient Cars' to Cars for Kids, Benefiting Children's Memorial Hospital

CHICAGO, Feb. 21 -- Zipcar, the world's largest car sharing service, today announced that it will host the first "Drive-In, Don't Drive Out" event to take old cars, and the pollution they cause, off the streets of Chicago. The event will be held on Monday, Feb. 26 at 7:00 pm at the historic Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport. Chicagoans will be able to "Drive-In" their old clunkers and donate them to Cars for Kids, a charity of Children's Memorial Hospital, and enjoy a free screening of "An Inconvenient Truth," with an opening speech from Chicago's leading authority on the city's green initiatives, Sadhu Johnston, the City of Chicago Commissioner of the Department of the Environment.

The event kicks off a three month long partnership between Zipcar and Cars for Kids to encourage Chicagoans to donate their old vehicles and rely on more environmentally friendly modes of transport, including public transit and car sharing. In addition to a $500 tax credit given by the State, the first five Chicagoans to confirm vehicle donation will receive an additional $500 cash, a lifetime Zipcar membership and $500 in driving credits, a package totaling more than $2,000. All other people who register to donate a car by June 1, 2007 will receive a lifetime Zipcar membership and $250 in free driving credits courtesy of Zipcar as a reward for their civic duty.

"The sheer number of cars in a large city like Chicago cause parking, traffic and environmental challenges," said Sadhu Johnston, the City of Chicago Commissioner of the Department of the Environment. "This event is just one more way car sharing is taking cars off the streets of Chicago, helping prevent pollution and reducing fuel consumption and congestion."

In a recent survey of Zipcar members by a governmental agency, approximately 40 percent reported getting rid of their privately owned vehicle or stopping a purchasing decision once joining the service. With more than 85,000 members worldwide, Zipcar conservatively estimates that it has taken approximately 34,000 cars off city streets, freeing up parking spaces and decreasing traffic.

"There are tens of thousands of car owners in Chicago that should strongly consider being car sharers," said Scott Griffith, CEO of Zipcar. "We have watched how the shift from car owner to car sharer sparks a dramatic and lasting behavioral change. When using a car includes making a reservation and paying by the use our members make smarter choices about how and when they use a vehicle. As a result, they drive fewer miles, make fewer trips by auto, increase their public transit use, walk and bike more often and best of all save money!"

The night after the Academy Awards, people are invited to attend this free "Drive-In, Don't Drive Out" event (car donation not required), watch a screening of Al Gore's nominated film "An Inconvenient Truth," and learn about building a sustainable and green Chicago from the Commissioner of the Department of the Environment, Sadhu Johnston. Those wishing to attend should rsvp to rsvp@zipcar.com with their name, number of attendees, and whether they plan to register to donate a vehicle.