Zipcars a New Way to Look at Personal Transportation - Becoming a Zipster

Zipcars a New Way to Look at Personal Transportation - Becoming a Zipster

Well there is a new business, well not totally new how about it came over to the United States in the late 1990's from our friends across the seas, Europe, and its called car sharing.

In September of 1999 two men named Robin Chase and Antje Danielson were bouncing around the idea of car sharing. Looking at companies in Switzerland and Germany. They started in 2000 or founded Zip car, with only a few hundred members or zipsters as they are called and around 25 cars in Massachusetts in the city of Cambridge.

The great thing about it is Members pay a yearly fee and a hourly or day rate. But that is not he best thing about the way it's all set up. Members would in several spots around the city pick up their cars, use them for the time needed and then return them to the same parking location that they picked them up at.

By 2005 Zip car had some pretty awesome growth, they had found a major need and they supplied the demand. Members had gone from a few hundred to 50,000 and 25 cars to 700 cars with 20 different makes and models using a small green VW Beetle as their trademark.

Revenue of $15 million and started businesses in Washington D.C., Boston, an Francisco and good old New York. Definitely places in major need of this kind of transportation availability.

Zip car had only one competitor, named Flex car and in October of 2007 they merged and of course by 2009 the once small car sharing company exploded to 275,000 drivers or (Zipsters) with 6,000 cars.

Zip car is also in Vancouver, Toronto and good old London, their expansion puts them at having over half of the car sharing business Globally. Guess what: they are still growing as of 2010 Zip car has purchased a company named Streetcar in London being members to over 400,000.

Zip car now employs 220 and is in 67 cities in the United states, United Kingdom and Canada.

Here's a really neat thing about the way this business works, they're loaded with technology allowing you to use your PC, Laptop I Phone, voice activation etc.

You have an annual subscription fee, a Zip card is issued to you, you reserve a car Online for like $8.50 per hour. Once the rental is made a main computer begins the car's key card entry system to allow a specific Zip card to gain access and start the engine. When finished using the car it is returned to the same place and your credit card is charged accordingly and billed.

You see like I said they need to come into the 21st century and Zip car did.

Really is worth looking into.

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