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National car share program rolls out at MSU

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Missouri State University student government and management officials have teamed with Boston-based Zipcar Inc. (Nasdaq: ZIP) to launch a membership-based car rental and sharing service on campus.

Launched today at 11 a.m. at the Springfield school's Plaster Student Union, the program is starting out with two available cars - both Ford Focus vehicles, a hatchback and sedan - available for rent by the hour and by the day, said Maxwell Wagner, chief sustainability commissioner of the school's Student Government Association.

"What I'm really looking to accomplish is that people in the university and community can see car sharing as a viable transportation alternative," said Wagner, a junior entrepreneurship major.

At no cost to MSU, students ages 18 and over, faculty and community members ages 21 and over may rent the vehicles at $7.50 an hour or $69 a day, with gas, insurance and maintenance included in the rental agreement. According to Zipcar.com, membership costs $25 a year, including $35 in driving credit for the first month. Through a Web-based scheduling platform, Zipcar members can reserve vehicles in locations across the nation via their Zipcard, which serves as a wireless key for the vehicles. The member then returns the car to the same reserved parking spot when done to complete the transaction, according to Zipcar.com.

"I definitely think we have a base of people who would use this, especially our on-campus students," Wagner said, noting the number of vehicles available would grow with demand.

The vehicles, housed in a parking lot behind Hutchens House student residence at MSU, will be maintained by local vendors, Wagner said. He noted while Zipcar doesn't have employees working out of MSU or Springfield, the cars are outfitted with technology letting officials out of the company's Boston office know when maintenance needs to be performed.

The cars can be rented via Zipcar.com/MissouriState.[[In-content Ad]]

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