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Honda Partners With UC-Davis And Others In Nation's First Smart Car-Sharing System

CarLink Program Designed to Research Shared-Use Vehicle Concept

DUBLIN, Calif., Feb. 3, 1999 — The nation's first car-sharing system using "smart-card" technology is being tested by a group including the University of California's Davis Institute of Transportation Studies and American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

The CarLink program was demonstrated at a press conference at the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) Dublin-Pleasanton station. Program members share the use of 12 natural gas-powered Civic GX sedans, supplied by Honda. Some members — daily commuters — drive to and from the BART station, using the cars mornings, evenings and weekends. Others travel to jobs in the Dublin area on BART, pick up cars at the station for use during the day and return them at the end of the workday. Onboard electronics monitor vehicle logistics, customer use and vehicle location and transmit this information to a command center.

"Creative solutions to the transportation challenges of the 21^st century require both advanced vehicles and better integration of the automobile within the overall transportation system," said Robert Bienenfeld, advanced environmental vehicle marketing manager for American Honda. "Honda's participation in the CarLink program allows us to see how consumers respond to the shared-use concept."

In addition to providing the Civic GX cars and funding for the field test of the CarLink program, all vehicle maintenance and insurance will be covered by Honda during the year-long period of this program.

Honda Motor Co. has been researching the shared-use concept since 1994, when it announced its vision for an Intelligent Community Vehicle System (ICVS). In October 1998, Honda began conducting public ICVS test-drives at its Twin Ring Motegi motorsports complex in Tochigi, Japan. Using environmentally sensitive vehicles such as small electric cars and electric bicycles, users check out vehicles as needed using smart cards to commute around the 1,600-acre facility. The system helps relieve parking shortages and traffic congestion while retaining the convenience of personal transportation.

For the California CarLink program, Honda is providing alternative-fuel vehicles powered by 1.6-liter dedicated natural gas 4-cylinder engines. The Civic GX is the cleanest internal combustion engine vehicle ever tested by the government.

"An important component in the development of each of Honda's advanced environmental vehicles is obtaining feedback from consumers under real-world, day-to-day use," Bienenfeld said.

In the U.S., Honda markets environmentally sensitive vehicles such as the Civic GX fueled by compressed natural gas, the EV PLUS electric vehicle and has just announced the first hybrid electric vehicle to go on sale in the U.S. later this year. In addition, for the 1999 model year, two of every three cars sold by Honda across the U.S. will meet or exceed California's Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) standards.

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