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In the fall of 1999, Zipcar’s two founders decided to put an American spin on a concept they had seen in Berlin while on vacation. Cars were parked around the city for members to drive by the hour instead of owning their own vehicles. Their idea was to outfit their own fleet with wireless technology, creating a hassle-free reservation system and strategically placing the cars around key cities and neighborhoods. In June of 2000 the first Zipcars were on the road. Today, tens of thousands of drivers use Zipcars.
Zipcar is good for the environment: 60% of its vehicles get 28 mpg or higher in the city. Some additional green benefits of Zipcar:
Members shed cars. Over 40% of Zipcar’s members decide against purchasing a car, or end up selling their car.
They drive less. Car usage of individuals is reduced by as much as 50%.
They use other transportation. Members use the most efficient means of transportation for the task — walking, biking, public transportation, taxi or Zipcar.
