Zipcar: Why Own When We Can Share?
One of the more innovative companies I have seen in the environmentally conscious field has to be Zipcar. Zipcar is the largest car-sharing service in the world, with locations throughout the US as well as several in Canada and the UK. The premise is simple: for many people living in urban areas, the hassles of owning a car easily outweigh the benefits. By sharing cars, people can reduce many of those hassles while continuing to meet transportation needs.
Zipcar basically works like this: You sign up and then receive a Zipcard. Then, choosing a vehicle (which range from Prius’ to BMW’s and even trucks) at a location that suits your needs, you reserve online or by phone for the exact time you need it. To pick up the car, all you have to do is hold the Zipcard up to the windshield and a sensor will unlock the doors. The key should be hanging from the rearview mirror so you’re all set. Members don’t have to worry about gas or insurance, as they are included.
By using car-sharing services, we can reduce a lot of privately owned vehicles (Zipcar estimates it’s 20 for every 1 Zipcar), and in effect reduce a great deal of harmful effects on the planet. Since members have to pay each time they drive, they most likely aren’t going to unless it’s necessary. They will ultimately utilize other means of transportation more often. As a result, traffic congestion, air pollution, and fossil fuel use should be positively affected. Car-sharing is ultimately the most efficient way to drive for many people, but it’s not without obstacles.
The service has to be extremely streamlined for it to attract and retain customers. If I were a member, one of my biggest concerns would be being able to find a car in a place and time that I need it without having to reserve it 3 weeks in advance. Also, I would be extremely upset to have my car reserved only to show up and find that the previous driver didn’t make it back in time. I know that they are charging fairly heavily for it, currently $50 an hour plus the normal hourly fee, but I’m sure it still happens.
Other problems inevitably arise with Zipster’s driving habits. So you’re driving a BMW that’s not yours without worrying about gas, insurance, or the car’s long term health; it’s not hard to spot the problem there. There’s really nothing to prevent Zipster’s from driving like absolute lunatics and basically treating the car like your typical rental. That’s certainly a problem as one of the goals is to reduce the amount of fossil fuel use, which is tough to accomplish as members are free to cruise carelessly.
For me, it would take a great deal of trust before I could sell my car and rely on a car-sharing network such as Zipcar. We’ve got places we need to go, and we don’t have the time or patience to deal with hassles and poor customer service. To their credit, Zipcar must be doing pretty well with their car-sharing process as they’ve continued to grow and expand since their inception. Kudos on their innovative ways and their success so far. Hopefully they can keep it up.