Zipcar is an American

car-sharing Carsharing or car sharing (AU, NZ, CA, TH, & US) or car clubs (UK) is a model of car rental where people rent cars for short periods of time, often by the hour. It differs from traditional car rental in that the owners of the cars are often pri ...

company and a subsidiary of

Avis Budget Group Avis Budget Group, Inc. is an American car rental agency holding company headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey. It is the parent company of several brands including Avis Car Rental, Budget Rent a Car, Budget Truck Rental, Payless Car Rental ...

. Zipcar provides vehicle reservations to its members, billable by the minute, hour or day; members may have to pay a monthly or annual membership fee in addition to car reservations charges. Gas, maintenance, insurance options, and a dedicated parking spot are included. Zipcar was founded in 2000 by Antje Danielson and

Robin Chase Robin Chase is an American transportation entrepreneur. She is co-founder and former CEO of Zipcar. She is also the founder and former CEO of Buzzcar, a peer-to-peer car-sharing service, acquired by Drivy. She also started the defunct GoLoco.or ...

. On March 14, 2013, Avis Budget Group acquired Zipcar for approximately million.

Scott Griffith Scott Griffith was the chairman and chief executive officer of Zipcar, Inc. from February 2003 until his resignation on March 15, 2013, following the acquisition of Zipcar by Avis Budget Group. As of October 2020, Griffith is the CEO of Ford Auton ...

, who had run the company for the previous decade, resigned the day after the acquisition closed and passed the reins to a new company president, Mark Norman. In early 2014, Kaye Ceille took over as Zipcar's North American president. In the summer of 2016, Ceille became a managing director of Avis Budget Group International and in 2017, Tracey Zhen was appointed as president. Angelo Adams was announced as the head of Zipcar in 2022. In September 2016, Zipcar announced that it had 1 million members across 500 cities in nine countries, and offers nearly 10,000 vehicles. Members can instantly join and reserve vehicles via Zipcar's

Android Android most commonly refers to: *Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), a mobile operating system primarily developed by Google * Android TV, a operating system developed ...

iPhone The iPhone is a line of smartphones developed and marketed by Apple that run iOS, the company's own mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then–Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, at ...

mobile app or online and, once approved, immediately book Zipcars up to a year in advance. Zipcar members have 24/7 on-demand access to the cars by enabling Bluetooth on their Zipcar mobile app or, if needed, an access card which unlocks the door; the keys are already located inside. Members can also use Zipcar's app to search, book and locate a Zipcar by honking its horn, extend, end and cancel a reservation. In the third quarter of 2007, Zipcar merged with Seattle-based rival

Flexcar Flexcar was an American vehicle subscription company with headquarters located in Boston, Massachusetts. History In January 2000, the Flexcar service was launched to 100 members served by four cars in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. ...

to create a nationwide car rental company. The company's

IPO An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investment ...

was in April 2011. Zipcar

common stock Common stock is a form of corporate equity ownership, a type of security. The terms voting share and ordinary share are also used frequently outside of the United States. They are known as equity shares or ordinary shares in the UK and other C ...

traded on

Nasdaq The Nasdaq Stock Market (; National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) is an American stock exchange based in New York City. It is the most active stock trading venue in the U.S. by volume, and ranked second on the list ...

under the ticker symbol "ZIP" until it was acquired by Avis in 2013.

History

Zipcar was co-founded by Antje Danielson and

based on German and Swiss company precedents in January 2000. In June 2000, the first Zipcars hit the road around

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. In January 2001, Danielson was fired after Chase petitioned Zipcar's board for the ability to make hiring and firing decisions without consulting them. In September 2001, the

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

office opened, with the branch in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

following in February 2002. In February 2003, after difficulties in securing additional rounds of funding, the Zipcar board replaced

as CEO with

. In July 2005, Zipcar secured $10 million in funding led by

Benchmark Capital Benchmark is a venture capital firm founded in 1995 by Bob Kagle, Bruce Dunlevie, Andy Rachleff, Kevin Harvey, and Val Vaden. The firm is known for its equal partnership structure and focus on early-stage investing, typically leading the firs ...

. In August 2005,

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

office opened. In May 2006, the

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

office opened. In May 2006,

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) was an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1892, incorporated in the New York (state), state of New York and headquartered in Boston. Over the year ...

's Commercial Finance Fleet Services () gave Zipcar $20 million in lease line financing. In September 2006, the Toronto market was named the fastest growing new market in company history. In November 2006, the

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

office opened. In April 2007, the

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

office opened. In October 2007, Zipcar and

executives announced a merger of the two companies, with the Zipcar brand and headquarters replacing that of Flexcar. On 23 January 2008, the merged Zipcar/Flexcar canceled service for the

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

cities of

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

without providing advance notice to customers in those areas, although Southern California college operations were left intact. On July 11, 2008, Zipcar announced it doubled membership in past year, including the Flexcar members it acquired, and now had 225,000 members. On August 28, 2008,

Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...

announced its introduction into the program in their goal of achieving the lowest possible carbon footprint while providing additional transportation options for employees that carpool. In June 2009, the company announced an iPhone application at the Apple World Wide Developer Conference; the application is capable of honking the horn and unlocking some Zipcars. Following impressive third-quarter results, previous CEO Scott Griffith announced that 2012 would mark Zipcar's "first full year of profitability on a US GAAP basis". Scott Griffith stepped down on March 15, 2013, following Avis Budget Group's acquisition of Zipcar. Mark Norman remained as president until February 2014, when Avis Budget Group announced that Kaye Ceille was appointed president of Zipcar, and "Mark Norman would step down in order to pursue another career opportunity." In July 2016, Kay Ceille stepped down as president of Zipcar to become the managing director of Avis Budget Group International, Australia. On January 5, 2017, Zipcar announced that after a 6-month search they appointed Tracey Zhen as its new president. Zhen came over from TripAdvisor where she had been a vice president and general manager. On September 27, 2020, Zipcar announced Angelo Adams as its new head of Zipcar. Zipcar saw a significant swing in demand during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, with a falloff in demand in March 2020 and a surge in May. Having taken cars off the road, the company had trouble keeping up with demand, causing a backlog at the customer service center. Some customers arrived at the time of their reservation to find no car in the parking spot. Some customers reported being stranded without transportation and unable to reach customer service to complain or cancel their membership. President Tracey Zhen apologized in June, saying the company was adding cars and customer service employees. By that month, she reported membership applications in New York City 70% above June 2019. An anonymous employee told CNN that the problems were exacerbated by laying off more than 20% of its employees, and changing call centers.

Membership

Members are able to view vehicle availability and reserve a self-service car via the internet, Android, and

apps, or by telephone, in increments as short as 30 minutes. Members pay only for time they reserve. Zipcar vehicles report their positions to a control center using in-car technology. In the U.S., each reservation entitles members up to for a 24-hour period and then $0.45 per mile beyond 180 miles ($0.55 per mile for premium vehicles and cargo van rentals) will be charged within the 24 hour period. If the rental is longer than 24 hours, then the member is entitled to per 24 hours; then per additional hour of the reservation period until is reached. If the 180 mile limit based on hours is exceeded then $0.45 per mile will be charged ($0.55 per mile for premium vehicles and cargo van rentals). Canadian members receive up to with each reservation for the first 24 hours with $0.30 per kilometre (up to $0.45 per kilometre for premium vehicles and cargo van rentals) being charged if the 200 km limit is exceeded. If the rental reservation is longer than 24 hours, then is included per 24 hours period along with per each additional hour up to . If the 200 km limit based on hours is exceeded, then $0.30 per kilometre (up to $0.45 per kilometre for premium vehicles and cargo van rentals) will be charged. Individual members can sign up for one of two different plans, the "Occasional Driving Plan" and the "Extra Value Plan". Members are given an access card containing a wireless chip that will open the vehicle they have reserved only at the time they have reserved it. The reservation includes

vehicle insurance Vehicle insurance (also known as car insurance, motor insurance, or auto insurance) is insurance for automobile, cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other road vehicles. Its primary use is to provide financial protection against physical damage or bo ...

, a

gas Gas is a state of matter that has neither a fixed volume nor a fixed shape and is a compressible fluid. A ''pure gas'' is made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon) or molecules of either a single type of atom ( elements such as ...

card for the car. A member can reserve and use a Zipcar in any Zipcar city.

Fees

Zipcar was sued in 2009 and again in 2011 by customers alleging that they charged excessive or hidden fees. The suit cited several hidden charges, including a charge to talk to a customer service representative even when customers call to report a problem that cannot be handled through the website or automated phone system, additional fees on top of the cost of a parking ticket even if the ticket was overturned in court, late fees starting at $50, a fee to retrieve items left in cars, and an inactivity fee. According to the complaint, many customers may not even be aware of the charges because Zipcar does not send monthly statements. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2010, after U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton found that every penalty except an inactive-user charge is legal. In August 2016, Zipcar agreed to settle a case involving allegations of charging New York consumers illegal damage fees for rental vehicles. According to New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, New York State law mandates if rental car companies mean to pursue charges for damages to their vehicles, they must give consumers the opportunity to dispute the complaint. Schneiderman's office alleges Zipcar failed to follow this requirement. The company sometimes purportedly charged consumers damage fees before notifying them of the charges. As a settlement, Zipcar will refund any damage charges assessed against consumers who disputed their responsibility for the damage. Additionally, the company will pay the Attorney General's Office $35,000 for fees and costs. In addition, Zipcar is barred from charging customers for damage unless those customers agree they are liable or the company obtains a legal determination—for example, from a court—that the driver is responsible. As of September 25, 2018, the business is not accredited by the

Better Business Bureau The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is an American private, 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization founded in 1912. BBB's self-described mission is to focus on advancing marketplace trust, consisting of 92 independently incorporated local BBB organizati ...

and averages a one-star review from the BBB from numerous complaints alleging deceptive business practices.

University, organization and business partnerships

Zipcar launched its Zipcar for Business program in early 2004 to provide companies with discounts on Monday-Friday driving. Since the launch of the program, Zipcar has signed 10,000 small, medium, and large sized businesses, as companies are increasingly adopting Zipcar's on demand car rental model as a cost-saving alternative for employee travel. Zipcar has partnered with over 600 colleges and universities across North America.

Zipcar fleet

Zipcar offers more than 50 makes and models of vehicles. Each vehicle has a home location: a reserved parking space located on a street, driveway, or neighborhood parking lot in the member's area, to which it must be returned at the end of the reservation. The locations of all Zipcars and models available at those locations are available at the Zipcar website. Zipcar currently (2019) has a fleet of 12,000+ vehicles. The makes and models of Zipcar vehicles available vary by location (for example, on college campuses, most Zipcar vehicles are economy,

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two diff ...

, and full-size cars), though members are able to choose the exact make and model of vehicle they wish from the list of available vehicles online or in the Zipcar

smartphone A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multi ...

application. Most Zipcar vehicles will feature decals with the Zipcar logo. Each vehicle has a "name" that help the renter to identify their specific vehicle. Zipcar offers vehicles in different categories, such as economy cars,

electric vehicles An electric vehicle (EV) is a motor vehicle whose propulsion is powered fully or mostly by electricity. EVs encompass a wide range of transportation modes, including road vehicle, road and rail vehicles, electric boats and Submersible, submer ...

(EV's),

vehicles, full-size cars, luxury vehicles (such as those from

Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. The origins of the compa ...

BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, trading as BMW Group (commonly abbreviated to BMW (), sometimes anglicised as Bavarian Motor Works), is a German multinational manufacturer of vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Th ...

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to simply as Mercedes and occasionally as Benz, is a German automotive brand that was founded in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group, established in 2019) is based in Stuttgart, ...

, and other luxury manufacturers),

SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definition ...

's,

pickup trucks A pickup truck or pickup is a light or medium duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removabl ...

, and cargo

van A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. There is some variation in the scope of the word across the different English-speaking countries. The smallest vans, microvans, are used for transporting either goods or ...

s. A Zipcar vehicle will not unlock for the renter until their exact reservation time. Renters unlock their vehicle (both at the beginning of the reservation and throughout the rental) by either holding their Zipcar membership Radio Frequency Identification

RFID Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder called a tag, a radio receiver, and a transmitter. When tri ...

card or

against the upper corner of the vehicle's windshield. The vehicle's keys are always tied to the steering column of the vehicle, and stay inside the vehicle at all times. A Zipcar "Copilot" guide is located in the driver's side sun visor, and includes a complimentary refueling card (gasoline card), insurance information, the vehicle registration card, and information about both the vehicle, as well as rental policies and procedures.

Embedded technologies

Zipcars have RFID readers located on the windshield that communicates with the card to lock and unlock the doors of the vehicle. Each vehicle records hours of usage and mileage, which is uploaded to a central computer via a wireless data link. The location of the vehicles is not tracked during a reservation for privacy reasons but is trackable, and all cars are equipped with a "kill" function that allows the company to prevent the car from starting in the event of theft. Zipcar also offers the embedded

Information Technologies Information technology (IT) is a set of related fields within information and communications technology (ICT), that encompass computer systems, software, programming languages, data and information processing, and storage. Information technolo ...

it has installed in its fleet as a fleet optimization service through its FastFleet service. During a rental, a Zipcar member can interface with their rented vehicle using the Zipcar

app, which includes the ability to locate the vehicle in a parking lot (including

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based hyperbolic navigation system owned by the United States Space Force and operated by Mission Delta 31. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provide geol ...

location and the ability to sound the vehicle's horn and flash the lights) and unlock or lock the vehicle.

Clean fuel vehicles

Among its fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles, and through an agreement between Honda and Zipcar, the program offers

clean fuel Clean fuel may refer to type of fuel used for transport or a type of fuel used for cooking and lighting. With regards to cooking, the Sustainable Development Goal 7 aims to "Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for ...

and

low-emission vehicle A low-emission vehicle is a motor vehicle that emits relatively low levels of motor vehicle emissions. The term may be used in a general sense, but in some countries it is defined in air quality statutes. Different groups of people ("go greens", " ...

s that include the

Insight Insight is the understanding of a specific causality, cause and effect within a particular context. The term insight can have several related meanings: *a piece of information *the act or result of understanding the inner nature of things or of se ...

Civic Hybrid The is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1972. , the Civic is positioned between the Honda Fit/City and Honda Accord in Honda's global passenger car line-up. The first-generation Civic was introduced in July 1972 as a two-do ...

, and

Honda Fit EV The second generation Honda Fit is a subcompact car or supermini manufactured by Honda from 2007 until 2014. It debuted on 17 October 2007 at the 40th Tokyo Motor Show. __TOC__ Overview The vehicle offered a longer wheelbase than its pred ...

all-

electric car An electric car or electric vehicle (EV) is a passenger car, passenger automobile that is propelled by an electric motor, electric traction motor, using electrical energy as the primary source of propulsion. The term normally refers to a p ...

. Vehicles such as the

Toyota Prius The is a Compact car, compact/small family car, small family liftback (supermini/subcompact sedan (car), sedan until 2003) produced by Toyota. The Prius has a Hybrid vehicle drivetrain, hybrid drivetrain, combined with an internal combustion ...

are also available.

Zipcar Flex

In the United Kingdom, some vehicles are branded "Zipcar Flex" which means that they can be left anywhere within a designated zone, rather than in a specific parking space. The remaining vehicles are branded "Zipcar Roundtrip".

Common vehicles in the Zipcar fleet

Sedan

* Toyota Corolla (sedan) *

Chevrolet Malibu The Chevrolet Malibu is a mid-size car that was manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet from 1964 to 1983 and from 1997 to 2025. The Malibu began as a trim-level of the Chevrolet Chevelle, becoming its own model line in 1978. Originally a rear-w ...

* Ford Focus (sedan) * Ford Fiesta (sedan) *

Nissan Sentra The Nissan Sentra is a series of automobiles manufactured by the Japanese automaker Nissan since 1982. Since 1999, the Sentra has been categorized as a compact car, while previously it occupied the subcompact class. Until 2006, Sentra was a reb ...

Honda Fit The Honda Fit ( Japanese: ホンダ・フィット, Hepburn: ''Honda Fitto'') or Honda Jazz is a small car manufactured and marketed by Honda since 2001 over four generations. It has a five-door hatchback body style and is considered a super ...

* Honda Civic (sedan) *

VW Jetta The Volkswagen Jetta () is a compact car/ small family car manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen since 1979. Positioned to fill a sedan niche slightly above the firm's Golf hatchback, it has been marketed over seven generations, variously as ...

Hyundai Elantra The Hyundai Elantra (), also known as the Hyundai Avante (), is a compact car produced by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai since 1990. The Elantra was initially marketed as the ''Lantra'' in Australia and some European markets. In Austra ...

Kia Forte The Kia Forte (), known as the K3 in Asia, the Forte K3 or Shuma in China and Cerato in South America, Australia, New Zealand and Russia, is a compact car manufactured by South Korean automaker Kia from mid-2008 until 2024, replacing the Kia S ...

* Subaru Impreza (sedan)

Hatchback

VW Golf The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...

Kia Soul The Kia Soul () is a subcompact crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by Kia since 2008. Often described and marketed as a Crossover (automobile), crossover since its introduction, the Soul is a hatchback with a box proportion and tall roof, ...

* Subaru Impreza (hatchback) * Honda Civic (hatchback) * Mazda 3 (hatchback) * Ford Fiesta (hatchback)

Luxury

Mercedes-Benz C-Class The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a series of compact executive cars produced by Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the 190 (W201) range, the C-Class was the smallest model in the marque's line-up until the W168 A-Class ...

BMW X3 The BMW X3 is an SUV manufactured by BMW since 2003, based on the BMW 3 Series platform. BMW markets the car as a ''Sports Activity Vehicle'', the company's proprietary descriptor for its X-line luxury vehicles. The first-generation X3 was des ...

Mercedes-Benz GLC The Mercedes-Benz GLC is a compact luxury crossover SUV introduced in 2015 for the 2016 model year that replaced the GLK-Class. According to Mercedes-Benz, it is the SUV equivalent to the C-Class. Under the vehicle naming scheme used by Merce ...

SUV

Kia Sorento The Kia Sorento () is a series of two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive family SUVs manufactured by the South Korean manufacturer Kia since 2002 through four generations. Initially a compact SUV built on a body-on-frame chassis, the second-g ...

Mitsubishi Outlander The is a mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors since 2001. It was originally known as the when it was introduced in Japan. The original Airtrek name was chosen to "describe the vehicle's ability to tran ...

Honda CR-V The Honda CR-V (A variant model is called Honda Breeze in China By GAC-Honda since 2019，The CR-V is still manufactured by Dongfeng Honda) is a compact crossover SUV manufactured by Japanese automaker Honda since 1995. Initial models of the C ...

Subaru Crosstrek The is a compact crossover SUV produced by Subaru since 2012. It is a successor to the Outback Sport in the United States and Canada, and the Impreza XV globally. Like the Outback Sport, the Crosstrek is a lifted Impreza hatchback with minor ...

Mazda CX-5 The Mazda CX-5 is a compact crossover SUV produced by Mazda since 2012. A successor to both the Tribute and the slightly larger CX-7, it is Mazda's first model to feature the "Kodo" design language and the first model to be fully developed wi ...

Kia Sportage The Kia Sportage () is a series of automobiles manufactured by the South Korean manufacturer Kia since 1993 through five generations. Initially a compact SUV built on a body-on-frame chassis, the second-generation Sportage transitioned to a ca ...

Honda HR-V The Honda HR-V is a subcompact crossover SUV ( B-segment) manufactured and marketed by Honda over three generations. The first generation HR-V, based on the Honda Logo, was marketed from 1999 to 2006 in Europe, Japan and select Asia-Pacific ...

Toyota 4Runner The Toyota 4Runner is an SUV manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota and marketed globally since 1984, across six generations. In Japan, it was marketed as the and was withdrawn from the market in 2009. The original 4Runner was a comp ...

Ford Escape The Ford Escape is a compact crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company since the 2001 model year. The first Ford SUV derived from a car platform, the Escape fell below the Ford Explorer#Second generation (UN105/150; 1995), F ...

Ford Edge The Ford Edge is a crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company introduced for the 2007 model year as the first mid-size CUV marketed by Ford in North America; now in its third generation. Deriving its name from a trim pack ...

Nissan Rogue The Nissan Rogue is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan. It made its debut in October 2007 for the 2008 model year. Beginning in 2013 for the 2014 model year, the model has been merged with the X-Trai ...

Jeep Wrangler The Jeep Wrangler is a series of compact and mid-size four-wheel drive off-road SUVs manufactured by Jeep since 1986, and currently in its fourth generation. The Wrangler JL, the most recent generation, was unveiled in late 2017 and is produced ...

Toyota RAV4 The is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. It is known for starting the wave of compact crossovers. The RAV4 is one of the best-selling SUVs of all time. By February 2020, a total of 10 million RAV4 ...

Hyundai Santa Fe The Hyundai Santa Fe () is an automobile nameplate used by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai since 2000, specifically for a series of crossover SUVs. It is named after the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and was introduced for the 2001 model ...

Pickup Truck

Nissan Frontier The Nissan Frontier is a nameplate used on three different pickup truck models by Nissan: * Nissan Frontier (international), an alternative nameplate for the NP300/Navara on some markets * Nissan Frontier (North America), a rebadged NP300/Navara f ...

Minivan

Honda Odyssey Honda Odyssey can refer to three motor vehicles manufactured by Honda: * Honda Odyssey (ATV), an all-terrain vehicle (1977—1989) * Honda Odyssey (minivan), a brand of two different Honda minivan models for different markets ** Honda Odyssey (i ...

Toyota Sienna The Toyota Sienna is a minivan manufactured and marketed by Toyota primarily for the North American market. It is named for the Italian city of Siena, in the region of Tuscany. It replaced the first generation Toyota Previa, Previa van in 1997 ...

Dodge Grand Caravan The Chrysler minivans are a series of minivans that have been produced and marketed by the American automaker Chrysler since the 1984 model year. Currently in its sixth generation, the model line is marketed worldwide, primarily in North America ...

Cargo Van

Ford Transit The Ford Transit is a family of light commercial vehicles manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since 1965, primarily as a panel van, cargo van, but also available in other configurations including a large passenger van (marketed as the Ford ...

Expansion

On October 31, 2007, Zipcar and

announced their intentions to merge. The merged company retained the name "Zipcar" and was headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Zipcar's chief executive, former Seattle-based

Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...

engineer

, became Chairman and CO, while Flexcar CEO Mark Norman became president and Chief Operating Officer. The merger combined Zipcar's fleet of 3,500 vehicles in 35 markets with Flexcar's 1,500 cars in 15 markets. In December 2009, Zipcar announced their participation in a round of financing with Avancar, the largest on-demand car rental company in Spain, based in Barcelona. Under the terms of the agreement, Zipcar acquired a minority interest in Avancar, a Zipcar executive joined Avancar's board and Zipcar was given a year option to increase the company's ownership stake. Later on in April 2010, Zipcar announced that it had acquired London-based car-sharing club

Streetcar A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some include s ...

. In December 2010, Zipcar extended their option for another year through the end of 2011, and provided a monetary loan to Avancar, which is convertible into equity if Zipcar chooses to exercise the option. On October 17, 2012, Zipcar announced the completion of its Avancar integration. On January 22, 2019 Zipcar (Avancar) members received notification that the service would no longer be available as of midnight, February 28, 2019. On Facebook and Instagram, the company cited a decision made by Avis to discontinue the service in the Spanish city. Since 2014, Zipcar has started services in cities in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Insurance

Zipcar provides liability coverage of $100,000 bodily injury per person, $300,000 bodily injury maximum, and $25,000 property damage per accident for members over 21 years of age who joined after March 1, 2015. Members at fault are responsible for the first $1,000 of costs related to the repair, recovery, and loss of use of any Zipcar vehicle. However, members can purchase no-liability insurance for an additional $79 a year. Members involved in accidents where fault is not determined (such as in a hit and run) must pay the first $1000 of these costs. For members under 21, Zipcar provides insurance coverage at state-mandated levels. Zipcar has received some scrutiny for their low coverage limits. Insurance coverage may vary depending on the region of use. For example, Canadian members in Toronto, Ontario, are provided with $1 million in liability coverage. Vancouver, BC members are provided with $2 million in liability coverage. Both regions in Canada also include comprehensive and collision coverage in addition to liability insurance. Previously, Zipcars traveling into Canada from the U.S. required members to obtain a special insurance card from Zipcar. As of February 2018, however, it appears that this is no longer the policy. Canadian Zipcars traveling into the U.S. do not need the extra insurance card. Similar to members of Zipcar U.S., members of Zipcar London, UK, require a special "vehicle on-hire" certificate when traveling abroad, which can be obtained from Zipcar.

References

External links

* {{Vehicle rental brands Car rental companies of the United States Carsharing Plug-in hybrid vehicles Companies based in Boston American companies established in 2000 Transport companies established in 2000 Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq 2011 initial public offerings 2013 mergers and acquisitions Avis Budget Group