Flexcar Announces Partnership with University of Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla.--Flexcar (www.flexcar.com) today announced it has expanded to the state of Florida through a partnership with the University of Florida to provide car-sharing services to its more than 60,000 faculty, staff and students. A total of eight vehicles, including hybrids, minivans and utility vehicles are now parked across campus available for hourly or daily use. Any student or employee of the university over the age of 18 is eligible to join Flexcar and use any of the vehicles.

The initiative is part of a comprehensive sustainability campaign launched by the university last fall. Key to the campaign is the reduction of the number of cars on campus. In addition to Flexcar, the campus is launching an online service to help pair people interested in carpooling; it is piloting a free taxi service; and it has increased the fee for a reserved parking spot to $3,000. By offering Flexcar, the university now makes it easy to have access to a car on campus.

“Flexcar’s demonstrated commitment to environmental sustainability and their innovative undergrad program made them the perfect choice for the University of Florida,” said Allan Preston, Coordinator, Quality Office, Physical Plant Division. “This program will save us money while increasing mobility options for everyone on campus.”

Members reserve a Flexcar vehicle online or via touchtone phone, use their Flexcard to open the doors, take their trip, then return the car to its reserved parking spot at the end of the reservation. A simple introductory fee of $5.50 per hour or $55.00 per day includes gas, insurance, 150 free miles, maintenance, a reserved parking spot and 24-7 emergency service. At colleges and universities across the country, Flexcar has proven to be a hit with students and staff alike.

“It’s a transportation trifecta -- choice, convenience and cost-effectiveness -- for everyone at the University of Florida,” said Mark Norman, Flexcar’s CEO. “Members can choose the type of vehicle they want when they want it, they have the convenience of 24-7 availability and nearby locations on campus, and the cost-effectiveness of paying by the hour and only when they use the service.”

Benefits to students

Students, already used to buying music by the song, find Flexcar’s “point-click-drive” process and pay-as-you-go model a natural fit for their lifestyle. In addition, Flexcar’s diverse fleet, which includes hybrids, sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks and minivans, ensures that students can pick a vehicle to suit just about any trip -- pickups for moving into new digs, for instance.

Benefits to faculty & staff

With high gas prices continuing and with limited parking and increasing rates on campus, driving a car to campus is increasingly cost-prohibitive. Faculty can now use Flexcar for university-related trips and meetings and have the trips billed directly to their departments, or they can use it for personal errands and charge a personal account.

Benefits to the community

Car-sharing programs have been shown to reduce cars on the road and increase use of public transit, both of which make getting around Gainesville easier. Additionally, Flexcar and the University are making the program available to the general public, which extends the cost savings and convenience to a broader audience.

Car-sharing is becoming a growing trend among large colleges and universities -- which are being driven by the need to reduce vehicles on and near campus. The company, which has provided car-sharing programs on college campuses since 2001, launched its groundbreaking “Flexcar for Undergrads” program last fall with a half dozen universities across the country, significantly expanding the availability of the service.

By reducing the minimum age requirement to 18, Flexcar ensures that nearly 100 percent of a campus population is eligible for the service, greatly impacting the ability to reduce cars on campus. Best of all, university partners do not need to extend their own insurance policies for the program; all drivers, even undergrads, are covered by Flexcar’s insurance policy.

In addition to the University of Florida, Flexcar University partners include the University of Washington, University of Maryland, UCLA, Georgia Tech, University of California -- Berkeley and Emory University, among others.

More information on Flexcar and the University of Florida program can be found on the Web at www.flexcar.com/uf.

About Flexcar

Flexcar founded the U.S. car-sharing industry and now operates car-sharing programs for tens of thousands of members in nine metropolitan areas, covering 40 cities in eight states and the District of Columbia. By the hour or by the day, members can reserve and drive any of these cars whenever and wherever they need to, without filling out complicated paperwork or paying for insurance, gas or repairs. Flexcar Business Memberships enable companies to augment or replace their fleet with Flexcar vehicles. Flexcar’s University programs enable campuses to address parking and mobility issues for faculty, staff and students. Flexcar's fleet includes environmentally friendly hybrid sedans, utility vehicles, including pickups, minivans and AWDs, and sporty cars, including Mini Coopers, Miatas and Scion tCs. Flexcar is a portfolio company of Revolution Living, an operating unit of Steve Case’s investment firm Revolution, LLC. More information on the company is available online at www.flexcar.com.

Editor's Note: Correct spelling and punctuation of name is "Flexcar" (not Flex-car FlexCar, Flexicar or Flex Car).