New Survey Shows Americans Ditching Cars at Record Pace
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Zipcar, the world's largest
provider of cars on demand by the hour or day, today announced record
membership growth. The company is averaging 10,000 new members per month,
triple the number joining at the same time last year. A new survey attributes
the growth to rising gas prices -- 40% of new members cited cost of fuel as
their reason for joining, nearly three times the percentage cited one year
ago.
The survey also demonstrates that swapping car ownership for a Zipcar
membership has a significant impact on American cities and the environment.
The study found that:
-- 65% of respondents said Zipcar led them to get rid of a household
vehicle or halt a purchasing decision, up from 40% 12 months ago. Zipcar
estimates that it has taken more than 75,000 personally-owned vehicles off the
road.
-- 40% of members said that using Zipcar has led them to increase their
overall use of public transportation.
-- After joining Zipcar, members reported driving an average of 2,200
miles less per year.
-- At current membership levels, Zipcar will save 16 million gallons of
gasoline and 150 million pounds of CO2 annually.
-- In the midst of rising concerns about a recession, respondents reported
saving more than $600 per month compared to the average cost of owning and
operating a car in an urban environment, money that can be used to buffer
rising cost-of-living expenses throughout the country.
Zipcar says that rising fuel costs are causing urban residents to consider
alternative transportation. 'The sharp increase in gas prices is a catalyst
for American's to rethink car ownership in a way we have never seen before,'
says chairman and CEO Scott Griffith. 'Thirteen million people can walk to a
Zipcar in 10 minutes or less, making our service a viable, mainstream
alternative to owning a personal car.'
The data was collected in an opt-in survey of 20,000 Zipcar members living
in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, San
Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC.
About Zipcar
Zipcar is the world's leading car-sharing service with 225,000 members and
5,500 vehicles in urban areas and college campuses throughout 26 North
American states and provinces as well as in London, England. As a leader in
urban transportation, Zipcar offers more than 30 makes and models of
self-service vehicles by the hour or day to savvy city residents and
businesses looking for an alternative to the high costs and hassles of owning
a car in the city. For more information, visit Zipcar.com.
Press Contact
Lesley Weiner
CooperKatz for Zipcar
917.595.3034
lweiner@cooperkatz.com
SOURCE Zipcar