PARIS, Sept. 16, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zipcar, the world's leading car sharing network, today expands its global footprint to France, launching in Paris today. Founded in 2000 in North America, Zipcar's entry into France widens its global network, giving its more than 870,000 members access to even more vehicles around the world. Today's launch is a key step in Zipcar's expansion across Europe, which already includes the United Kingdom, Spain and Austria.
With a global fleet of over 10,000 vehicles in hundreds of towns, cities, airports and universities across the world, Zipcar is leading the way to help transform urban living by providing a convenient, sustainable and economical alternative to car ownership. Zipcar's global technology platform is the backbone to its expansion by providing members in now six countries with a simple user experience to reserve vehicles by the hour or by the day, in locations close to where they live and work.
Speaking at Zipcar's launch in Paris today, European President, Massimo Marsili, said: "Today represents a huge opportunity for Zipcar to operate in a city that is already embracing alternative mobility offerings. Like many cities around the world, Paris benefits from an excellent and widely used public transport network and an informed and educated public that is looking for a smarter way to live and consume goods, particularly when it comes to transport.
"With an ever growing population that is putting pressure on its transport infrastructure, Zipcar is committed to providing Parisians with a flexible and cost effective alternative transport solution. We are excited to be launching our first wave of locations today, and aspire to a future where Parisians live no more than a 5-10 minute walk from a Zipcar."
Zipcar prides itself on offering members a variety of vehicles, including many fuel-efficient models, by the hour or by the day, in locations close to where people live and work. Providing the right vehicle at the right time is key to Zipcar's mission to reduce the need for car ownership in the city and Zipcar is pleased to announce its new partnerships with Opel and Peugeot at today's launch.
Etienne Hermite, General Manager, Zipcar France, said: "In a highly populated city, Zipcar's model has been proven to remove up to 15 personally owned vehicles from the road for each Zipcar in service, reducing parking demand, congestion and emissions. Parisians are already deeply concerned with the issues of mobility and we look forward to working closely with our members, local government and Mairie de Paris as we look to expand further across Paris and France."
About Zipcar:
Zipcar, the world's leading car sharing network, has operations in urban areas and college campuses throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Austria and France. Zipcar offers more than 30 makes and models of self-service vehicles by the hour or day to residents and businesses looking for smart, simple and convenient solutions to their urban and campus transportation needs. Zipcar is a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:CAR), a leading global provider of vehicle rental services. More information is available at www.zipcar.com or www.zipcar.fr.