Harvey explains further: "With over 30 makes and models available in the global Zipcar fleet we offer more car types than any other car sharing service. Why on Earth would you let two BMWs out on your fleet to share? In the case of Zipcar in Minneapolis, there are some interesting hubs to be found – including two BMWs, an Audi and a Nissan Frontier pickup truck. While the bulk of the fleet is the Ford Focus, there is a wide variety of vehicles to choose from. It also meant diversifying the fleet to meet community needs. Zipcar is different, as it would leverage the fleet of Avis Budget Group to put specific vehicles out in the fleet. What HourCar and other services found out, it would be cheaper to own and operate smaller subcompacts – namely the Honda Fit – than build an entire region-wide fleet of Priuses. It had a huge cabin, loads of cargo space and would return high fuel economy with low emissions. Everyone thought that the hybrid would be the perfect vehicle to use in car sharing. When HourCar opened up ten years ago, they featured the Toyota Prius. There is one attraction to Zipcar in comparison to other car sharing services in the Twin Cities. It almost sounds like "Planes, Trains and Automobiles!" Or, as some people have done, take a nearby car2go smart fortwo to said hub.
#Zipcar prices crack
As other car sharing services found out, the Northside is a tough market to crack due to various factors regarding public/shared transportation use.Īs with all other car sharing services, in order for me – a resident of a place connected to the "Northside" – to use one, I would have to go the nearest hub in the North Loop, or go directly into downtown Minneapolis. The only car sharing service with a presence in North Minneapolis is car2go, which their parking flexibility allows them to go anywhere within the city limits. HourCar and Enterprise also maintain key hubs in those two locations, though HourCar has more city-wide coverage including Northeast Minneapolis. In Minneapolis, Zipcar do not has that dense of a presence, therefore they positioned their vehicles at key locations downtown and in Uptown. I saw this up close in Portland, Oregon, where it seemed that Zipcar had the downtown core covered extremely well. Zipcar was unable to provide a breakdown on how many users are in this market.īefore their arrival into Minnesota, Zipcars were present in many cities, mostly using on-street spots to increase access to users. In the Twin Cities, there are 32 or so vehicles. The Zipcard members get, along with downloading the app, can assist when you need a car in a city you just happen to visit.
One of the benefits of being a "Zipster" is access to the 10,000 vehicles in the fleet wherever Zipcar has its service available. That move put Zipcar in direct competition with local non-profit HourCar, Daimler AG-owned car2go, and Enterprise Car Share.Īccording to Brian Harvey, Zipcar Minneapolis Market Manager, there are 10,000 vehicles in the fleet around the world with over 900,000 "Zipsters" – the term they use to identify their subscribers. A change in contract for car sharing services on campus sent Zipcar out into the greater community with hubs in both Minneapolis and St. When they first arrived in the Twin Cities, they served only the students, faculty and staff of the University of Minnesota. Celebrating their 15th year of operation, they were recently acquired by Avis Budget Group to maintain their global presence. In preparation for an upcoming issue that a local publication I write for is doing, I decided to try a new (to me) car sharing service to find out – Zipcar. In these days of temporary gas price relief, is car sharing still relevant?
#Zipcar prices how to
Who knows what the price of gas will be next week…or month? They have a set rate per hour – or minute – and their subscribers know how to work the system of the service they use. Taxis are not going to lower fares, either.Ĭar sharing operations are in the same state of flux. Public transit has already set fares to recoup their own fuel and operations costs.
They already pay fluctuating ride costs when they tap on their Uber or Lyft app. Enjoy it, while you can!įor a non-car owner, it will not affect them.
Traditionally, gas prices start to climb sometime after the first of the year. Pump prices have dipped below $2.00 a gallon in plenty of places – which is either good or bad news, depending on where you sit. Or, has it?Īt the onset of a new year, some communities across the USA are seeing something they have not seen in a very long time: Very low gas pump prices. The push for personal sustainability may have been thwarted.
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