By: Roy Aker

After winning a competitive bidding contract, the car-sharing program HOURCAR will replace Zipcar at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in time for fall semester.

According to a press release, the St. Paul-based HOURCAR will have 10 new energy-efficient cars on campus by Aug 1.

The company is the largest car-sharing service in the Twin Cities and is run by the local nonprofit organization Neighborhood Energy Connection.

Zipcar, which was founded in Massachusetts, held a contract with the University since 2005. In January, the New Jersey-based Avis Budget Group bought Zipcar for $500 million.

Jacqueline Brudlos, a spokeswoman for the University’s Parking and Transportation Services, said the bidding contract was non-monetary. She added that one of the reasons HOURCAR was chosen over Zipcar was because Neighborhood Energy Connection is a local nonprofit.

In addition to expanding at the University, Hourcar is growing its fleet throughout the metro and plans to have more than 80 vehicles by early 2014.