Flexcar Now Available to 500,000 College Students Across the U.S.
WASHINGTON--Flexcar (www.flexcar.com) announced today it has expanded its leading “Flexcar for Undergrads” program through partnerships with two major universities -- Arizona State University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, making Flexcar now available to 500,000 students at 27 colleges and universities across the country. University faculty, staff and students at ASU and UWM will be able to use Flexcar vehicles by the hour for a simple fee which includes gas, insurance, maintenance, parking and 24-7 emergency service. These partnerships also mark the first car-sharing programs in the state of Arizona and the city of Milwaukee, and bring to 15 the total number of U.S. markets in which Flexcar operates – the most of any car-sharing operator.
Universities are increasingly turning to Flexcar to help reduce the total number of cars on campus while at the same time giving faculty, staff and students a convenient transportation option. The situation at Arizona State illustrates the severity of the problem: in a given year the university hosts more than 1.5 million attendees at various campus events while on a weekly basis, more than 52,000 students vie for approximately 19,000 parking spots at the Tempe campus.
“Flexcar offers universities an innovative new tool for managing parking and campus congestion,” said CEO Mark Norman. “Students can now have a brand new car parked outside their dorm for a few bucks an hour – gas and insurance included – without the university having to add more parking spots. This also makes it easier for faculty and staff to leave their car at home. Additionally, campuses can reduce their number of fleet cars over time.”
For undergraduates, personal transportation has long been a challenge. Campus parking for privately owned cars is usually limited or outright restricted, and few (if any) car-rental companies will rent to people under 25, much less under 21. The “Flexcar for Undergrads” opens up all of the benefits of car-sharing to 18-20 year-olds, a group which comprises the largest portion of campus populations.
For staff and faculty, limited parking and the increase in the cost of gas make driving a car to campus increasingly cost-prohibitive. Faculty can now leave their car at home, and use Flexcar for university-related trips and meetings (charging the trip to a campus account) or personal errands (charging the trip to a personal account).
The addition of Arizona State means Flexcar now has its program at the nation’s three largest universities (Arizona State University, The Ohio State University and the University of Florida). In addition, Flexcar already has partnerships with two dozen other leading college campuses, including: Johns Hopkins, USC, UCLA, UC Berkeley, University of Washington, University of Maryland, Georgia Tech, Portland State University and Emory University, among others, making it the leader in providing major campus car-sharing programs.
Flexcar’s services are now available to 500,000 students on 27 college campuses across the nation. And with its entrance into the Tempe and Milwaukee areas, Flexcar has expanded its operations to its 14th and 15th U.S. markets, the most of any car-sharing operator. Flexcar expects to launch its car-sharing program at additional cities and campuses in the coming months.
About Flexcar
Flexcar founded the U.S. car-sharing industry and has operations in more cities (15) across the U.S. than any other provider. 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 SUVs), sporty cars (including MINIs, Miatas and Scion tCs) and luxury vehicles (Lexus). 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).