ZIPCAR at UIUC

Consider using the zip car service on campus!

Zipcar was founded in 1999 and is now the world's largest membership-based car sharing company. There are over 325,000 members and a presence across more than 13 big cities and 140 universities.

The car sharing takes place on a pay-per-use system, which has the effect of significantly altering driving behavior. Evidence suggests that sharers drive from a quarter to half as much as owners. Not only do they drive less frequently, but they also drive differently by "chaining" trips, making multiple stops along the shortest route in order to ensure efficiency.

Each Zipcar is estimated to remove 15-20 cars off the road. We estimate that our cars have replaced 100,000 others resulting in savings of more than 16 million gallons of gasoline and 150 million pounds of CO2 annually.

Another very important statistic is that members of Zipcar and car sharing programs report a 47% increase in public transit trips, a 10% increase in bicycling trips and a 26% increase in walking trips.
What this company is trying to do has effects beyond just sharing cars, it's a real effort to change the way we think and function.

Currently for UIUC students, the fee for a Zipcar membership is $35 annually. With this comes an instant $35 in driving credits, making the membership essentially free. If you have seen the website, you may have noted how simple it is to reserve a car and see what is available to you here on campus. The reservations costs $8 an hour on weekdays and $9 on the weekend but are capped at $66 for weekdays and $72 on weekends (meaning you'll never pay more than that for a day). You may travel up to 180 miles per 24 hours of your reservation and the best part is that gas and insurance are included!

For more information, please visit the their website: www.zipcar.com/uillinois.