The company typically registers few customer service complaints and gives users the benefit of the doubt in damage liability cases. Zipcar chairman and CEO, Scott Griffith, called the move a major win for its users known as Zipsters, but he did not go into detail. Zipcar also makes use of a wireless data link to monitor vehicle usage in real time.įollowing the announcement, Zipcar sent an email to its members offering them reassurance reports the Washington Post.
Zipcar support drivers#
Those technologies include RFID transponders embedded in windshields that communicate with a customers car and automatically unlocks the drivers door. Avis also owns Budget, with both companies likely to take advantage of Zipcar technologies. The company sees Zipcar as a complement to its longer term rental options or as a scalable opportunity for the combined business. Nelson, Avis Budget Group chairman and chief executive officer, noted that Zipcar fits in with Avis desire to reach more commercial and consumer clients. You can find Zipcars positioned on or near more than 300 campuses and the company enjoys a strong following among businesses large and small, as well as with environmentally conscious consumers. The company claims more than 760,000 members and it is the market leader in 20 leading US, Canadian and European metropolitan areas.
The car sharing business has been growing steadily in recent years and has been estimated as a $400 million annual business in the US according to Zipcar. Zipcar had its initial public offering in April 2011. Board members for both companies unanimously approved the near $500 million deal and Zipcar says that shareholders holding about one-third of its outstanding common stock have pledged support for the move. will pay $12.25 per share in cash for Zipcar, representing a 49 percent price premium over the December 31, 2012, closing price. That deal is expected to conclude this spring. On Wednesday, Avis announced that it has agreed to acquire Zipcar.
Zipcar vehicles are typically found around large universities and in urban areas, a business model that has been copied by rental car companies such as Enterprise and Hertz. Based on a popular European car sharing initiative, the first Zipcars hit the road in 2000.
Zipcar support free#
It’s free and easy, and each month through April, 15 finalists will be chosen to compete for grants.Zipcar is the worlds largest car sharing service, a Cambridge, Massachusetts company that was launched in 2000. Ready to enter your group? Visit ZipcarU today. Check out Zipcar and the Students With Drive grant program today and U of I organizations could be riding in style to volunteer opportunities, academic conferences, concerts, games or wherever else they need to go. Whether your group plays rec sports, builds Habitat for Humanity houses or needs to get to another campus for competitions, transportation can be a real pain point. Join for only $25 a year, and receive $35 in driving credit your first month.Įach month during the school year, Zipcar awards $37,500 in transportation grants to student groups across the country.Gas, insurance and maintenance are included for free!.Discounted hourly rates for Illinois faculty, staff and students age 18 and older: rates start at just $7.50 per hour.Studies show that each car share vehicle can take about 15 personal vehicles off the road.
Return the car to the same location where you picked it up.īy joining the Zipcar program, Illinois students and employees can use active transportation to get around campus, and use the Zipcars for larger shopping trips or weekend excursions to Allerton Park or elsewhere. To use Zipcars, simply register as a member, reserve a car online or by phone, use your Zipcard to enter the car, and drive away. Need a car? Borrow a Zipcar! Since 2010, MTD, Urbana, Champaign, and the U of I have partnered with Zipcar to bring self-service, on-demand car sharing to the area. With Zipcar on campus, it just got easier to live without a car.