Zipcar – a different type of car rental
September 26th, 2009 by Tim Uden
This week I drove my first car rented from Zipcar, a car sharing agency that is an alternative to a traditional car rental company.
Basically Zipcar’s target market are people who live in big cities and only need a car occasionally. Rather than buy a car, they become a Zipster (a Zipcar member) and rent a car by the hour when they need it. It’s not really a service designed for the traveller, but in some instances it can work out a better option than a regular rental car.
Here are the main differences between car rental and car sharing (à la Zipcar):
- Traditional rental cars require that you rent the car from the rental car office, but they usually let you return the car to a different city; car sharing agencies like Zipcar let members reserve over the internet and pick the car up from reserved parking spaceslocated at strategic points all over the city. Cars from a car sharing agency must be returned to the same car parking space.
- Traditional rental car agencies let anyone walk in off the street and rent a car, but car sharing services like Zipcar only let members rent and it can take several days for a membership application to be processed. It costs USD $75 to sign up as a member in the US or £50 if you sign up in the UK.
- The process of picking up a regular rental car can take around 15 minutes. With a car sharing service like Zipcar you can be driving within a minute or two.
- You rent by the day with traditional car rental companies, but with car sharing services like Zipcar you can rent by the hour (although there is also a daily rate).
- Traditional rental car companies usually have no problem if you want a car for a month or longer, but it is difficult to get a car from a car sharing service like Zipcar for longer than four days (mainly because other members may have previously reserved that car).
- With car sharing agencies you get the exact same car you asked for, none of being ‘upgraded’ to some big ugly car that you didn’t ask for.
- Traditional rental car companies may charge you additional fees for insurance, but car sharing agencies like Zipcar include insurance.
- You are responsible for paying for petrol if you rent through a regular car rental company, but fuel is included with car sharing. In the United States Zipcar includes the first 180 miles (300km) per day free of charge and there is a fuel card provided with the car so you can top it up at Zipcar’s expense.
- Most rental car companies won’t rent to you if you’re aged under 25 and if they do, they will charge you extremely high fees for the privilege. Zipcar only require that you are aged over 21 and they don’t charge you any extra if you only just turned 21.
There are quite a few differences between Zipcar’s service and a regular rental car and it isn’t for everyone, particularly if you’re planning a longer trip. However it is worth considering if you are travelling between big cities by some other form of transport (such as plane or train) and need a car for a few days at a time to explore a specific region, and it may be your only option if you’re aged between 21 and 25.
Because fuel is included and there aren’t any additional charges for insurance, Zipcars and cars from other car sharing services can work out much better value than regular rental cars (as long as you average less than 300km per day).
In the United States most car rental agencies seem to specialise in big ugly boring cars (usually the Hyundai Ascent – which I previously blogged about as being too big an unweildy – is the smallest car on offer). However Zipcar has quite a nice range of small cars, such as the Mini, Honda Jazz and the Mazda 3. Unfortunately like most US-based rental agencies, all North American Zipcars have automatic transmissions, so you’ll feel like an old age pensioner driving without being in full control of your car (however most Zipcars in London are manuals).
My experience with Zipcar
I signed up for a Zipcar membership a few days before flying out to the USA. However my member application meant that I needed to provide a copy of my driving record, which I needed to order a week earlier from Vicroads in Australia (if you’re planning to rent a Zipcar you definitely need to plan in advance). The day I arrived I recieved an email saying I was approved and a couple of days later I picked up my new Zipcar membership card (my Zipcard) from Zipcar’s San Francisco office.
I reserved my Zipcar online on my iPhone (this was around a week before Zipcar was due to release their new iPhone app so I did it through the phone’s built in browser) and was given directions to where the car was parked.
After finding the car I held my Zipcard to the windscreen and the doors unlocked. Then I hopped inside and started the car using the keys attached to the driving column (well it would have been that easy if I was able to work out how to start the car but a combination of not haven driven an automatic in around 15 years and being unfamiliar with starting a Mini – press the start button – meant that it took me a while to work things out, but that is not any fault of Zipcar.
There were a few little quirks that will take a little getting used to (such as leaving the keys in your car when it is parked and refueling using the fuel car under the sun visor) but I think it is worth it for the freedom that Zipcar offers, not to mention the option of having a nice small car instead of the big ugly things that most US rental car companies offer.
My problems trying to start the car notwithstanding, I found Zipcar an easy alternative to a regular rental car and I look forward to using them again; which incidentally will be tomorrow when I pick up a car in Palo Alto in Silicon Valley.
View Comments to “Zipcar – a different type of car rental”
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November 1st, 2009 at 2.59 pm
Quite clever idea this is to be able to rent a car by the hour. However don’t you think the whole membership thing is going to push customers away?
January 4th, 2010 at 6.57 am
Thanks for information!!!I know one site who will help you AND give this type of services.
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March 2nd, 2010 at 10.50 am
Renting a car by the hour? If your a tourist and need transportation for a long time it would be to expensive probably.
March 3rd, 2010 at 7.21 am
I don’t get it, Booker Bray
April 5th, 2010 at 11.13 am
I agree, membership will stop people using. The public like Ease !
April 7th, 2010 at 3.02 am
[...] Zipcar – a different type of car rental [...]
April 22nd, 2010 at 4.35 am
I really loved the article.I am thanksfull for this blog its really nice and helpfull.
April 22nd, 2010 at 4.36 am
Thank you.This article is very good. Useful to me. I will return to read this article and other article absolute sure.
April 23rd, 2010 at 2.16 am
I am thanksfull for this blog its really nice and helpfull.
May 28th, 2010 at 5.25 pm
Ive used zipcar's services whilst i was located to another city for a few months for work reasons. Its a great convenience as i didn't need a car all the time.
June 3rd, 2010 at 7.10 pm
Nice information. Its usefulness and significance is overwhelming the way you covered all the basic necessary information is really impressive, good work keep it up.
June 5th, 2010 at 1.02 pm
hello friends, i would like to tell you that if you want to make your journey more beautiful then don't forget to take a good and satisfactory travel insurance by which you can get excited offers.
June 15th, 2010 at 6.30 am
i personally use zip car hire services many times and i am very impress with zip car hire service because zip car hire company always provide best car hire services to their customers then other companies .
June 25th, 2010 at 1.04 pm
I use StreetCar in the UK who has just been boughout by ZipCar and I love using it. Especially for the Van rental as it works out so much cheaper.
Also in reply abou the membership putting people off, I can not see why. It was free when I joined and took 5 minutes and I had my card the next day not that you need it to use the cars.
June 29th, 2010 at 7.22 am
Thanks for the information.
July 5th, 2010 at 12.35 am
thanks for a great post, sounds interesting
July 7th, 2010 at 9.54 am
Indeed the Zipcar seems to be an easier alternative.I like that they have more than classic car insurance quotes that come in handy. When I want to rent a car, that's the first thing I'm looking for.
July 13th, 2010 at 6.09 am
Thanks. I congratulate you for this blog.
I've really enjoyed. I sincerely thank you again.
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July 14th, 2010 at 9.24 am
This Zipcar seems a really good idea. Ive been looking into hiring a car for a short amount of time as never need them for a full day and this will be very useful.
July 14th, 2010 at 3.45 pm
The economical crisis surely made people that own a business or want to start a business be very creative about marketing techniques. Zipcar here is the perfect example for that: who would have thought that a demand for their services would keep them in business, but it seems that people actually need such services. Good for Zipcar and congrats for the mastermind behind this business idea.
July 27th, 2010 at 9.19 pm
I can see here two different services – car sharing vs car rental. Even if they are a kind of renting service, they are opened to two different type of consumers. Both services have pros and cons and I do not think that one of it can take over the other, or force the other to change tactics.
It is true that while away in Raleigh I would have much preferred an hourly rented car than the one the company rented from Raleigh car rental, which was rented for two whole weeks and used only to visit the company shops around the city. The car was used less than three hours, two times a week. A lot of money could have been saved. Next time I would ask for a Zipcar if any of their offices or parking lots are near by the city center, and if the company cannot get a membership I will personally apply for one. Thanks a lot for the input on this kind of renting.
July 29th, 2010 at 5.19 pm
It would be expensive if you're planning to rent it for several days, but in that case you should use a regular rent-a-car service like Fox Rent A Car. But if you just need to drive around the city for a few hours, you'll be much better off this way.
October 4th, 2010 at 1.49 pm
Excellent! Great article, I already saved it to my favourite,n
October 24th, 2010 at 2.36 pm
This is nice… Zip car seems to fit when you need something fast…
October 25th, 2010 at 2.32 am
OHH………….
October 25th, 2010 at 2.33 am
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November 3rd, 2010 at 11.47 am
Thanks for the information shared. Savaari car rentals offer the same kind of services and they also offer online booking and allow the customers to choose their own pick up and drop down locations based on one’s own convenience. Thanks for the review shared. Keep posting.
December 5th, 2010 at 5.41 pm
Nice blog.nhanks for providing me this information.I’ll use the service of Zipcar in future.
December 6th, 2010 at 5.31 pm
It would be better if you’re cerebration to charter it for various life, but in that case you should use best rent-a-car organization like this. But if you drive a car around the city for a few hours, you’ll be comfortable.
December 7th, 2010 at 10.25 pm
This is very interesting. I had no idea about travel options such as Zipcar. I recently came back from a long distance trip where I was frustrated by the inability to get a car at reasonable rates. This story of how your zipcar card unlocks the doors and gives you such great service is great to know for the future.
December 15th, 2010 at 9.28 am
good site with good post
February 12th, 2011 at 4.17 am
Zipcar is the best car service, Friends this is my experience is am going to share with you . If we want our trip memorable then we have to hire zipcars. These are best.
February 15th, 2011 at 11.48 am
Zipcar defo offer something different to the car rental market although it might not catch on in some places.
April 5th, 2011 at 7.04 am
Zip car is a self-service car company. This is the world’s largest car sharing and car club service. It is an alternative to traditional car rental and car ownership. Zip car is a new commercial car-sharing venture that provides convenient on demand means of transportation. Zip caru2019s target market is focused on dense urban residential areas, where millions of people that do not own a car.
May 27th, 2011 at 10.28 am
Nice blog.nThanks for providing me this information.I’ll use the service of Zipcar in future.
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October 7th, 2011 at 1.34 pm
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