Zipcar Expands World's Largest On-Campus Car Sharing Program
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CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 8, 2008 - Zipcar, the world's largest provider of cars on demand by the hour or day, today announced it will expand its Zipcar for Universities program to more than 120 campus communities. This fall, Zipcars are being added to nearly two dozen new schools, more than doubling the fleet of vehicles on campuses throughout North America.
By bringing the benefits of car sharing to more colleges and universities, Zipcar is effectively introducing a sustainable and money-saving transportation alternative to a younger population, while growing its national brand presence. Zipcar's new partners include Dartmouth College, Vanderbilt University, Rice University, and University of Miami. In addition, due to tremendous membership growth, Zipcar is adding vehicles and locations at more than a dozen existing partner schools, including Brown University, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Stanford University, Yale University, and York University (Toronto, Ontario).
Zipcar's industry-leading technology and innovative, self-service model have made it the premier choice for administrators and students. During the past year, Zipcar launched new applications to meet the growing demands of urban residents and student members. Mobile applications, including text message options, a mobile reservation site, and a GPS-based widget for the iPhone 3G have proven to be popular for students' on-the-go lifestyles. When not at a personal computer, students can use these applications to view and reserve Zipcars from their favorite mobile device, giving them on-demand access to campus Zipcars 24/7.
"Zipcar's partnerships with colleges and universities allow us to introduce our service and brand to the next generation of Zipsters," said Scott Griffith, chairman and CEO of Zipcar. "We pioneered the introduction of car sharing on college campuses a few years ago, and have seen a dramatic increase in the size and scope of our university relationships during the past year. As more schools seek to provide sustainable transportation alternatives, Zipcar will become a mainstream amenity at hundreds of additional universities."
Partnerships between Zipcar and universities are a part of Zipcar's expanded focus into new sectors. This year, businesses, government, and transit agencies also turned to Zipcar, with Zipcar for Business topping 8,500 accounts throughout North America and the UK. Government agencies such as New Jersey Transit, the City of Philadelphia, and the US House of Representatives have also come to Zipcar to increase transit ridership, decrease the number of vehicles commuting into cities, and in some cases provide a cost-effective alternative to city fleets.