Z-Cars: The Next Generation

M@
By M@ Last edited 208 months ago
Z-Cars: The Next Generation
zipcar.jpg

If you really, really insist on driving around the capital, but are worried about your green credentials, help is at hand in the form of Zipcar. Basically, it's a hassle-free car-hire scheme where you can use a swipe card to pick up and park specially marked cars in various areas of London...any time of the day or night...and you don't even need to worry about the C-charge. The London debut of the scheme was announced today. We don't normally write stuff based on press releases but, hey, it's about sustainable futures and all that.

If you own a car but only use it a couple of times a week, Zipcar sounds like it could save you a tidy sum:

Rates in London start at £4.20 per hour and £34 per day (any 24 hour period), with petrol, designated parking and comprehensive insurance included.

Sounds quite reasonable, but will it really persuade drivers to give up their own cars? The company thinks so:

Conceived to deliver a unique and sustainable travel solution for eco savvy city dwellers, Zipcar estimates twenty private cars will be taken off the road for every one of its cars introduced to London's streets.

Well, it's not really all that unique, now is it? In fact the market's looking positively crowded. Still, introducing competition into green technology is no doubt good for the cause. And Zipcar claim to be the biggest car club scheme in the world, so offer big-player clout. As Tube users, we'll watch this one with a kind of detached interest.

Last Updated 29 November 2006