Zipcar: adding vans to car club with VW Caddy
Car club set to unveil van service in late spring
Zipcar, a worldwide car club with an operation in London, is expanding its service to vans.
The Zipcar vans will be available on an hourly basis.
Zipcar intends to use the Volkswagen Caddy at first; and then introduce the larger VW Transporter.
The Zipcar vans will be available on a flat rate pay-for-use system. The cost of the VW Caddy will be £4.50 an hour; the VW Transporter £7.50 an hour.
Businesses wishing to join Zipcar pay a £75 one-off fee to set up an account. And £10 per year per driver to hold a Zipcard. The Zipcard enables the van to be driven away from its designated parking area.
Included in the fee is a driving licence check.
Paul McLoughlin, general manager, Zipcar said:
“It’s very simple to operate and is ideal for small businesses in London. You simply pay for use. There’s no ownership. For smart businesses it’s a way for them to reduce their operating costs. And the London Congestion Charge is included in the hourly fee.”
However, Zipcar is only London based. McLoughlin said there were no plans to extend Zipcar vans beyond the capital at the moment.
Daily rental companies, such as Europcar, also offer a similar service but on a nationwide basis. However, McLoughlin said Zipcar users tended to pay for just one to three hours of vehicle usership.
“Zipcar is an ideal way for small businesses to reduce costs, get the mobility they need, and meet duty of care issues. Plus the costs go straight against the p&l account,” McLoughlin added.
Zipcar is the world’s largest car club. It operates in North America and Canada, as well as London. It has some 200,000 business and consumer drivers worldwide.
