These first electric vehicles are located at the Portland State University (PSU). Charging stations for the EVs are provided by ECOtality Inc., which is also providing Zipcar members access to the company’s Blink Network of charging stations in Portland during their reservations.

Zipcar did not reveal the exact number of Fit EV incorporated in its Portland fleet.

“We are very excited to introduce Honda Fit EVs into the Zipcar fleet here in Portland. The new EVs add to the selection of smart and sustainable vehicle options Zipcar currently offers, and will help our members further reduce their environmental impact by driving on electricity only,” said Jeremy Nelson, General Manager, Zipcar Portland.

The new Honda Fit EVs are located on PSU’s campus at Parking Structure 1, and are available to all Zipcar members for hourly reservations, starting at $10.25 per hour.

Zipcar said it chose PSU for the location of its first EVs in Portland because of the University’s leadership in environmentally conscious innovations, including its Electric Avenue automotive charging stations on campus.

“Having electric vehicles available at PSU through Zipcar fits perfectly with our sustainability mission,” said Portland State University President Wim Wiewel.  “It’s a clean transportation option that I think our students, faculty and staff are really going to appreciate.”

Through Zipcar’s program with ECOtality, members who reserve Honda Fit EVs in Portland will have full access to ECOtality’s Blink Network of charging stations located throughout the Portland area if they are in need of a charge during their reservation.

Each Zipcar Fit EV is outfitted with a Blink InCard, which provides complimentary access to Blink Network charging stations to charge up, similar to the way gas cards work in other Zipcar vehicles.

“As EV’s enter into mass adoption, innovative companies such as Zipcar allow us to introduce our Blink charging stations to an audience that might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience an EV,” stated Greg Fioriti, Chief Revenue Officer of ECOtality, Inc. “We look forward to working with Zipcar and generating increased awareness of EVs throughout the Portland area.”

Prior to reserving one of the Zipcar EVs, members will have the opportunity to learn more about driving electric vehicles through Zipcar’s member education program. Members can visit www.zipcar.com/portlandev to learn more about the electric vehicles, watch an instructional video, go through a quick orientation process and make a reservation.

Honda’s 2013 Fit EV, based on its five-passenger Fit, earns a combined adjusted Environmental Protection Agency mile-per-gallon-equivalency rating of 118 MPGe, and a  consumption rating of just 29 kilowatt-hours per 100 miles.

The  Fit EV features a 20 kilowatt-hour Lithium-Ion battery and relies on a 92 kilowatt AC synchronous electric motor that generates 189 foot-pound of torque.

When plugged in a 240-volt circuit, the Fit EV battery can be recharged in less than three hours.

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American Honda announced earlier today that the Fit EV will be available for lease at Honda dealerships in selected markets in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey. Customers will be able to lease the Fit EV for a period of three years at a cost of $389 per month.

The Fit EV was first launched in California and Oregon in July 2012, and is exclusively available through a lease.

The 2013 Honda Fit EV is rated by the EPA at 118 MPGe, has an EPA-rated driving range of 82 miles, and a low energy-consumption rating of just 29 kilowatt-hours per 100 miles.

“Expanding the availability of the ultra-efficient Fit EV to the East Coast is the next logical step in Honda’s strategic and customer-focused approach to growing the market for low-CO2, sustainable mobility technologies,” said Steve Center, vice president of the American Honda Environmental Business Development Office. “Combining Honda’s extensive EV experience with customers–which began 15 years ago with the Honda EV Plus–with the real-world feedback from early Fit EV lessees in several different markets will help us prepare for growing adoption of electric vehicles.”

Based on the five-passenger Honda Fit, the electric Fit EV features a 20-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery and a compact 92-kilowatt (123 horsepower) AC synchronous electric motor that generates 189 foot-pound of torque.

This powertrain is teamed to a chassis with a fully-independent suspension and a driver-selectable 3-mode drive system. The result is, according to American Honda, a fun-to-drive EV.

An on-board charger allows the vehicle to be plugged into any household-type 120-volt outlet (dedicated GFCI outlet recommended) or an available 240-volt AC power supply.

When connected to a 240-volt circuit, the Fit EV battery can be recharged in less than three hours from a low charge indicator illumination point.

When connected to an outlet, charging can be started or stopped with an included Fit EV interactive remote control, through an available smartphone application or through the internet on a personal computer.

The Fit EV is offered at a lease price of $389 per month over a three-year term, computing, according to American Honda, to a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $36,625.

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Steve Center, vice-president of the Environmental Business Development Office at American Honda, described the Fit EV hand-off, stating:

“This is an exciting day as we take another important step toward Honda’s comprehensive vision for reducing CO2 emissions while at the same time advancing our relationship with the city of Torrance… With Honda’s extensive experience and the real-world feedback from the city of Torrance, we will be even more prepared for the further customer adoption of electric vehicles.”

Honda unveiled the production-spec 2013 Fit EV at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show and announced it will lease the 76-mile-range electric hatchback to US customers in the summer of 2012. Unfortunately, Honda has no intention to outright sell the car to the general public.

At some later point, the city of Torrance will receive a Honda plug-in hybrid for testing and demonstration purposes. The carmaker’s current plug-in hybrid drivetrain is designed to be fit to a mid-size sedan platform, with a range of 10-15 miles and a top speed of 62 mph in electric mode.

California has been a fertile testing ground for Honda’s advanced vehicle technologies, in part because its zero emissions mandate forces carmakers to sell a minimum number of qualifying vehicles there each year. In 2008, Honda began leasing its FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle to select California customers, including Hollywood stars like Jamie Lee Curtis and her husband, director Christopher Guest. No word yet on whether the Fit EV has picked up any celebrity drivers of its own.

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The Honda Fit arrived on American shores in 2007 just as gas prices began to spike and quickly became the poster child for subcompacts—as well as the smart fuel-efficiency purchase for those not wanting a hybrid. An all-new, slightly larger Fit was introduced in 2009.

Inexpensive to buy and run, this gas-powered entry-level four-door hatchback touts many positives. It has an intelligent, but playful appearance, a deceivingly large and versatile five-passenger interior, and enjoys top-notch Honda build quality and reliability. But of course, the most significant advantage to this little commuter is fuel efficiency. Thanks to its small four-cylinder engine, the Fit boasts EPA numbers of 28 city/35 highway with its five-speed automatic transmission. With a manual, it comes in at 27 city/33 highway. Those figures sit between its closest peers, the Nissan Versa (28/34) and the more efficient Toyota Yaris (29/36).

For 2011, the Fit’s styling is a rerun of the 2010 model, but there are several changes in equipment and features. The 2011 Fit gets a safety enhancement by including an electronic stability control system as standard equipment on all models, not just the most expensive version. It boosts convenience and connectivity by giving the entry model standard cruise control, a USB iPod interface, and remote keyless entry. And the top-line model, the Fit Sport with Navigation, is no longer available with manual transmission.

A hybrid version of the Fit is available in Japan and Europe, but Honda has no plans to bring it to the United States. However, an all-electric variant—no price info yet—is due in 2012.

Exterior

The hatchback body style is the optimum design to maximize passenger and cargo room in small cars, and the Fit is one of the more uncommonly proportioned examples. The Fit’s tall subcompact body exudes an edgy and youthful character. Its styling can almost be described as avant-garde, but some may see it as having an awkward presence.

The styling, however, serves a larger purpose than mere aesthetics. Fit has a short front end highlighted by big, swept-back headlights. Its steeply angled front roof pillars frame an enormous windshield. And its long-roof, wagon-like body is sawed off just behind the rear wheels.

With an abundance of side-glass, small wheel openings, and an overall length of just 13 1⁄2 feet the effect is almost toy-like. But with a tall roofline and generous-for-its-size wheelbase—the distance between front and rear axles—Fit carves out room for four adults to ride in comfort along with class-leading cargo space and versatility.

If you prefer a bit of an athletic look to your ride, Sport models are distinguished from the base version by an underbody aero kit, rear spoiler, fog lights, and larger, 16-inch tires on alloy wheels. It takes the base Fit up a notch with its more aggressive look.

Interior

Within, you can expect to find Honda fit and finish, and its stylish design is a good match to the exterior of the car. The instrument cluster is arranged to help maximize economical driving with an instant fuel economy meter above an average mpg display. Instruments are large and easy to read, key controls are conveniently placed within easy reach of the driver. With respect to materials, the cabin is on par with cars in the subcompact class.

Tall people will feel at home in the Fit’s front seats, where there’s ample head, leg and shoulder room for the six-foot-plus set. A tilt and telescoping steering column makes easy work of finding a comfortable driving position.

Honda designers thoughtfully included a number of nifty storage features. There’s a double glove box, cubbies in the dash, an under-seat compartment, a back row cup holder and a map pocket on the front passenger’s seat that is easily reached by the driver. Well thought-out places to stow things create an atmosphere that can make the difference between happy car ownership and a growing resentment over the years.

Fit’s defining feature is an innovation Honda calls the “Magic Seat.” The interior can be configured numerous ways, accommodating everything from tall plants to bicycles and surfboards. By moving the gas tank forward to a location under the front seats, there’s an extraordinarily deep—and useful—well between the front and rear seats.

The rear Magic Seat folds flat into the floor in a slick one-hand operation, with no need to remove the headrests—even when the front seats are all the way back. The load floor becomes perfectly flat, unlike those in many rivals, creating a mammoth 57 cubic feet of storage. The seat’s design also enables the rear seat cushions to flip up, creating a side-to-side chasm behind the front seats. The front passenger seatback folds forward so Fit can carry long items such as a ladder or skis.

On The Road

Available in two trim levels, base and Sport, the Fit is powered by a 117 horsepower four-cylinder engine. Granted, 117 ponies don’t sound like much these days – and it’s not—but it is adequate to the task of motivating the 2,500-lb Fit. Although at nine seconds, the 0-60 sprint isn’t much of an adrenaline rush. Honda’s celebrated i-VTEC variable lift-and-timing valve technology is tuned here for a broad and powerful midrange. Peak torque of 106 foot-pounds is widely available, enhancing responsiveness in a wide variety of situations.

The engine can be hooked up with either a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic. The manual offers clean gates and a comfortable, easily engaged clutch action. The Sport version is more appearance than performance, but it adds a manual shift mode to the automatic, with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. Want to keep it in manual mode? No problem; move the floor-mounted shift lever to the “S” (for Sport) position and shift to your heart’s content.

What the Fit lacks in power, it makes up in handling. The rack-and-pinion steering system is electrically assisted, offering fuel savings over hydraulic systems. Unlike many electric systems, the Fit’s is communicative and responsive. The rear suspension is subcompact-typical, a torsion-bar setup, which works nearly as well as an independent design in negotiating quick corners. Rear drum brakes hold costs down without imposing much negative effect on stopping distance or fade-resistance.

In-town driving is a no-muss, no-fuss affair. Power is more than adequate in suburbia, and at modest speeds the suspension tackles bumps and dips in a gracious manner. Parking, either parallel or head-in, is accomplished with ease and you can cut a U-turn in 34 feet.

The Fit is no Mini Cooper when it comes to handling, but it is rather agile. On sharp, switchback roads, Honda’s engineering trumps the plebeian blueprint. The car responds quickly to steering inputs and eagerly bites into corners, yielding to noseplow only on high-speed turns that reveal the limited grip of the small tires. Unlike driving on city streets, the Fit’s suspension becomes a little raw when speeds increase, particularly encounters with pavement expansion joints.

However, fuel economy is most likely a higher priority than sharp handling for the typical buyer. Like all cars—hybrid, diesel or gasoline powered—the Fit’s consumption of fuel is determined by how it’s driven. Used in the typical fashion as a grocery-getter, kid-hauler and commuter car, we averaged 34 mpg in the Sport model during a weeklong, 327-mile test drive. That’s 3 mpg above the EPA’s estimated combined number. Our stint with a manual transmission Fit was exactly the opposite, obviously due to a long session of, shall we say, spirited driving.

Economics

The sticker price is where most consumers will raise an eyebrow. Base MSRP for the Fit is $15,100. That’s $940 more than the Versa hatchback and a whopping $1,845 more than the Yaris hatch. In its defense, Fit has a Prix Fixe menu — both models in the lineup have a set suite of features; factory options are unavailable. On the other hand, the Versa and Yaris offer comfort and convenience features a la carte style—nearly everything except air conditioning is extra, including a radio. Standard features on all 2011 Fits include: remote keyless entry; power windows, locks, and outside mirrors; air conditioning; cruise control; and an audio system.

On a day-to-day basis, the Fit performs its driving duties admirably. It scoots about town with little effort and when it hits the highways, has no problem keeping up with the flow. Where the Fit really shines is inside. Seating is comfortable, knobs and controls are easy to reach and operate, and that trick rear seat expands the already-generous cargo area to a space that rivals small SUVs. With its 28 city/35 highway rating, the Fit is unquestionably one of the more efficient vehicles on the road. It easily has a range of more than 300 miles on a full tank of regular gas. That’s pretty impressive for a small car.

Prices are Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) at time of publication and do not include destination charges, taxes or licensing.

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The company hasn’t yet revealed any details about the car, but did release a single photo to provide some indication of the unique styling applied to the hybrid Yaris.

The Yaris is likely to be targeted to the European market, while the upcoming Prius C—unveiled last month at the Detroit Auto Show—will be the Toyota subcompact for U.S. consumers. “The Prius C concept is an inspiration for us to build a future vehicle coming in the first half of 2012 that would be the most value-oriented vehicle of the Prius family, and have the highest mileage of any cordless hybrid,” said Doug Coleman, Toyota’s Prius product manager, in an interview with HybridCars.com.

Two years ago, Toyota introduced another small electric-drive vehicle, the FT-EV electric concept, at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. The FT-EV concept, expected in 2012, shares its platform with the company’s Japanese and European minicar, the Toyota iQ. The iQ is larger than the quintessential minicar, the Smart Fortwo, but not by much. Its wheelbase is a little more than five inches longer, and on the whole, the car is only about a foot longer than the Smart—11.4 inches to be exact. The Toyota FT-EV concept, offers driving range of 50 miles, according to Toyota.

Meanwhile, Honda is working on small electrified vehicles as well. Last month, the Honda Fit Hybrid beat out the Toyota Prius to become the top seller in Japan, though the company has been reluctant to bring the car to the United States. Honda executives told HybridCars.com last year that their current trio of small hybrids—including the Civic Hybrid, CR-Z, and Insight—leave little room for a Fit gas-electric here.

Honda Fit Shuttle

Honda will soon unveil the Fit Shuttle, a slightly more spacious version of the Fit, at the Geneva show as well. The Fit Shuttle will be also offered with Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist technology, using a 1.3-liter engine—meaning a wagon-type small hybrid.

An all-electric Fit-EV is planned for release some time in 2012.

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The Tokyo Shimbun and Mainichi Shimbun newspapers this week reported that Honda plans to sell the Fit Hybrid for about $18,600. That’s approximately $3,500 less than the Honda Insight, currently the cheapest hybrid, and about $4,600 more than the gas-powered Fit. Pricing for the Japanese market does not move in sync with U.S. pricing—but a similar strategy in the U.S. would put the base MSRP around $17,000. The Honda Fit Hybrid is expected in 2011. Honda will launch the Fit Hybrid at the Paris Auto Show this fall.

Japanese subsidies for fuel-efficient cars have helped make the Toyota Prius the top-selling car for the past 15 months. Some of the subsidies are scheduled to end next month, a move forcing hybrid makers to more aggressively compete on price.

In the U.S., the cost premium for hybrids has been a critical obstacle for moving hybrids into the mainstream. Hybrids represent approximately 2.5 percent of the new car market. Honda attempted to market the redesigned Honda Insight hybrid as an affordable “hybrid for the masses,” but the Prius-look-alike is only slightly cheaper than the Prius, while offering less room and lower mpg. The Honda CR-Z hybrid coupe, which goes on sale this fall, similarly falls short on its promise to combine fuel economy and sportiness at a competitive price.

Perhaps the Honda Fit Hybrid, if offered around $17,000 with fuel economy in the mid-40-mpg range, could be the right formula. The Honda Fit, sold as the Jazz in other market, is consistently praised for offering “loads” of passenger and cargo room in a small package. See the video below for how Honda Australia used humor to advertise the Fit’s impressive interior space.

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Wrapped in completely new sheet metal, the new Fit is powered by a 1.5-liter inline four engine, yielding 117 horsepower and 106 pound-feet of torque. As with the previous model, the new Fit is not impressive in terms of power—often struggling to keep up with higher speed traffic. However, Honda revised the car’s final drive gear, resulting in stronger launches from the standstill position, as well as greater ability to climb steeper roadways and slopes.

What the Fit lacks in power, it makes up in handling. The new Fit feels more agile than ever. Steering is light, quick, and responsive. On sharp, switchback roads, the Fit maneuvered with ease and took corners with plenty of confidence. The Vehicle Stability System aptly reeled in the car at higher speeds. The Fit does, however, seem to lean a bit more on turn-ins than other vehicles its size, due primarily to smaller tires and a higher center of gravity.

Of course, fuel economy is one of the key selling points for the Honda Fit—along with an amazing amount of interior space for a subcompact. (In fact, for 2009, Honda breathed in more room by stretching the Fit’s wheelbase by 2 inches and moving the A-pillars forward about 5 inches.) Our time with the test car was limited, so we can’t report real-world mileage, but government fuel economy ratings for the 2009 Honda Fit with a 5-speed automatic transmission are 28 in the city and 35 on the highway. That’s a slight bump up from the previous Fit, which was rated 27 city/ 34 highway. The Honda Fit received an Ultra Low-Emission Vehicle (ULEV-2) rating from California regulators.

Based on our first drive, we believe the 2009 Honda Fit continues to be a very compelling option for shoppers seeking efficiency, practicality, and affordability. Pricing starts at $14,550, making it one of the best values in a high-mpg car.

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Known elsewhere as the Jazz, the new Honda Fit will feature an expanded platform with a longer wheelbase than the current model. The wheelbase is extended to 98.4 inches, and the windshield is moved forward nearly 5 inches. The change will result in more interior space, particularly in terms of legroom. The cabin will also feature a clever and handy swiveling front passenger seat. For power, the new Fit will be outfitted with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 118 horsepower—about 10 hp more than the current model. The engine will be mated to a continuously variable transmission to achieve a hybrid-like 40-plus miles per gallon. The current Honda Fit has government fuel economy ratings of 28 in the city and 34 on the highway.

As for styling, the new Fit has been sculpted with sharper lines and harder angles. It looks definitively sportier than its predecessor, with a more athletic stance and a higher back-end. These changes accentuate the Fit’s personality: small and smart. Just in time for $4 gasoline.

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