Zipcar sharing program open to all | The Triangle

Zipcar sharing program open to all

Keeping in touch with its reputation as an environmentally friendly school, Drexel University is now in an official partnership with Zipcar Inc., an international car-sharing network, to offer a Zipcar car-sharing program on campus to all of the University’s students. Though the partnership was first started in July when students over 21 years of age could rent cars, it was recently announced in a Nov. 28 Drexel-issued press release that anyone over 18 can also participate.

Additionally, faculty and professional staff members can also sign up for a vehicle. Students who are under 21 can use a dedicated group of Zipcars that live on campus, while those over 21 can access Zipcars both on and off campus.

Because of Zipcar’s affiliation with the University, student organizations are now able to compete in the organization’s “Students with Drive” grant program, which provides students with free Zipcar memberships and driving credits to support student organizations on campus. The two sponsors of the program, Ford and Zipcar, will award $300,000 in grants to student organizations and universities, and in April one student organization will win the grand prize of $5,000 in Zipcar credits, $10,000 to be put toward its cause and $10,000 to be awarded to the winning school.

All Drexel members can pay a $35 annual fee, with on-campus rates for Zipcar vehicles starting at $7 per hour and $69 per day. The cost for insurance, roadside assistance, reserved parking spots, and gas for up to 180 miles of driving per day will be included in the cost.

The University will initially offer eight Zipcars, including a Ford Focus, Honda Insight, Mazda 3, Scion xB and Kia Soul models. The cars are located in several campus lots, and the location of available vehicles can be searched online in the Philadelphia section of the organization’s website.

The cars specifically designated for Drexel can be held for any amount of time, ranging from hours to days, just like all Zipcar vehicles. Similarly, the Zipcars can be reserved, locked, unlocked and physically located through apps that can be downloaded on smartphones, including iPhones and Android devices.

To join, Drexel students, faculty, and staff can sign up at zipcar.com/drexel. Student organizations interested in the “Students with Drive” program can visit Zipcar’s University Facebook page at facebook.com/ZipcarU.