The Latest Biofriendly Mode of Transportation

Ziploc - biofriendly transportation 

Images from Zipcar.com 

When it comes to the form of transportation you use, would you consider yourself biofriendly?  Do you own a hybrid or electric vehicle? Do you bike to work, car-pool or take public transportation? Do you use proven fuel additives or biofuels? Do you walk whenever you can?  Well, no matter what you’ve done in the past, there’s a relatively new form of public transportation you should know about for your future…car-sharing.

What is car-sharing? Simply put, it’s an innovative way to provide people a temporary vehicle to use when the need arises.  Let’s say for example you use public transportation most of the time, but need a car every now and again, then car-sharing could work for you.  What if you just don’t want to add more monthly payments to your budget, cover maintenance costs, etc, then car-sharing could work for you.  What if your family could really use a second car sometimes, but you don’t need one fulltime?  What if your company wants to provide “company vehicles” without having to purchase or maintain their own fleet?  What if you’d just rather find a greener form of transportation…again, car-sharing could be right for you.

Zipcar for universitiesEnter Zipcar®…”The best new idea in business” (Fortune Magazine).  Zipcar boasts car-sharing locations in cities across the United States, as well as London, England and Toronto or Vancouver, Canada.  Zipcar locations are also conveniently located on over 100 university campuses across the United States.  Perfect for when it comes time to send your kid off to college.  Now there’s no need to buy them that new car, just enroll them in Zipcar and they are ready to go. 

So, how does it work?  Simple…you enroll on the Zipcar website and once approved you will get your Zipcard in the mail.  You pay a yearly fee for the service and then pay the hourly/daily fees associated with each time you use a Zipcar.  You can make your reservation online, but then get this…once you arrive at the Zipcar location all it takes is a wave of your Zipcard and you have immediate access to the vehicle.  Another amazing convenience is that each car comes with a gas card, insurance and 180 free miles at no additional cost.  

Needless to say, car-sharing is the smart solution when you need to travel as their cars can be rented by the hour or by the day.  Why pay for a full-day rental if you only need the car for an hour or two?  Even if you have a last minute trip, you can use your mobile phone to find the closest Zipcar location, make a reservation and your car will be ready to go when you arrive.  What are you waiting for?  Time to try out the latest biofriendly mode of transportation!

2 Comments

  • Stephanie

    I love the zip car concept. Now, if I could just talk my husband into selling our second car (as you did) and use a zip car when needed. My town is small enough for me to run errands on my bicycle when the kids are in school…

  • Tara

    That sounds awesome 🙂 It is a cool idea, isn’t it?

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