Zipcar showcases one of its Honda Civic models, located conveniently throughout Columbus for Zipcar users. Credit: Jasmine Hilton | For The Lantern
Getting from Point A to Point B just a got a whole lot easier.
On Monday, Zipcar — the world’s leading car-sharing network — announced its expansion of car sharing in Columbus and at Ohio State through a partnership with Honda.
Since its launch in June 2018, Zipcar has expanded to 30 Honda vehicles, including models such as the CRV, Civic and Odyssey — all of which are located throughout downtown and campus.
“We saw this as a community that was ready and right for car-sharing,” Sabrina Sussman, manager of public partnerships for Zipcar, said.
Honda teamed up with Zipcar due to the many benefits the partnership would provide the city, which includes decreasing parking demand and creating a sustainable environment, Honda spokesman Chris Abbruzzese said.
“At Honda, we continue to search for ways to reduce our impact on the environment and we believe this expanded Zipcar program will continue to help reduce emissions and city congestion here in Ohio,” Abbruzzese said.
Parked in designated spots, vehicles can be reserved through Zipcar’s mobile app, online or over the phone by the hour or day. Drivers unlock them by tapping their Zipcard, located on their phone, to the card reader on the windshield. When the ride is complete, the vehicles can be driven back to the same reserved spot.
“It’s an alternative that provides flexibility to use a car when they want and where they want,” Emmanuel V. Remy, City of Columbus council member, said.
Provided by Honda’s partnership with Zipcar, Ohio State students can join for free and start off with $15 of drive credit.
Zipcar also alleviates some of the financial burdens of owning a car in college, with each reservation including gas, insurance and 180 miles of driving per day.
“Rather than paying for a really expensive asset, like a car, car-sharing allows you to only pay for it when you need it,” Sussman said.
Clara Davison, a fourth-year in arts management and business, often has to attend special events with arts organizations to network and learn about the industry.
However, with expensive Ubers and time-consuming bus rides, Davison could rarely attend long-distance destinations.
That all changed once she began using Zipcar.
“Having this option just opens up a world of possibilities for people traveling out of town,” Davison said. “Knowing that I’m driving and I’m in control of the situation is liberating.”
As for Remy, he said he couldn’t be more thrilled about the future of Zipcar in “America’s opportunity city.”
“Convenient mobility options, such as Zipcar, play a vital role in our vibrant city as we continue to grow and think creatively about transportation — now and to the future,” Remy said.
