U-M Zipcar fleets adds 2 cars, expands fleet to 15

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 | Source: Concentrate

The University of Michigan's Zipcar fleet has grown beyond a baker's dozen and can now barely be counted on three hands.

The university just received two new vehicles, rounding out the Zipcar fleet to a total of 15 automobiles. Those cars range from Ford Focuses to Honda hybrids to Mini Coopers.

"We have a wide variety of fuel efficient vehicles," says Grant Winston, an associate director with the university's Parking & Transportation Services Dept, which oversees the Zipcar fleet.

Zipcar is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based firm that specializes in providing European-style car sharing in urban centers. Users pay a small annual fee to be able to rent a car on an hourly basis, which is often cheaper than renting a car for a day from car-rental company.

About 1,400 students, faculty and staff at the university utilize its Zipcar fleet. The fleet has a 45 percentage utilization rate over a 24-7 basis, which is considered ideal because it makes sure a car is always available. Downtown Ann Arbor also started its own Zipcar fleet, which now consists of four vehicles.

"We have a growing portion of our membership among students," Winston says. "Undergraduate students aren't allowed to have a car on campus so this gives them wheels when they need them."

Source: Grant Winston, associate director at the University of Michigan's Parking & Transportation Services Dept
Writer: Jon Zemke