Zip through London

High-tech gloss sharpens appeal of car hire by the hour

Slick, up-market branding is repositioning the old ‘car club’ idea. Congestion charging, the price of parking, and smart technology for charging users and tracking availability, have all helped the likes of Streetcar make its mark in London.

The latest proposition, Zipcar for Business (Z2B), is typical of the new breed, and it’s aiming squarely at the corporate market. Zipcars at your disposal are parked in dozens of locations in central London, “providing self-service, on-demand access to a diverse fleet 24/7”.

The language says it all: the target market is no longer the frugal greenie with the occasional special need, but the business on the go and the urban professional, demanding hassle-free personal mobility. There’s more than a hint of a gesture to the petrolheads, with Mini Coopers and BMWs in the mix alongside Civic hybrids. And no bashfulness about pricing, from £4.50 per hour all in.

Convenient billing and customer service are right up front in the Zipcar offer, with the ‘green’ bit tacked on as a bonus feelgood factor that’s great for the CSR credentials. But it’s good to hear that “88% of [their] clients report higher usage of public transport, walking and cycling” – and every Zipcar they deploy is reckoned to take 20 personal vehicles off the street. – Roger East

20 September 2007

Roger East