If you do not use the car, can I rent it?

If you receive a notice about the potential for CarSharing to programs, believes that other traditional car-rental companies, Hertz and Avis last pioneers in the short-term rental market, such as ZipCar, in the couple of years purchased.

Apparently those are rewarded well. A new study by Navigant research predicts that the number of car sharing participants are from 2.3 million in 2013 on more than 12 million in the year 2020 grow. Global sales should make a bigger leap from an expected $1 billion to $6.2 billion.

Car-sharing services offer an alternative to the traditional rent approach through targeted those who need a car for less than an hour. Customers access, usually vehicles for vacant lots or reserved parking places.

However, there are also a number of variations on the theme.

Pioneering companies such as ZipCar, much like a traditional car rental companies offer their own vehicles. But parts in a different view on the so-called economic, RelayRides, with each owner to earn such as partner some money, you want to rent their vehicles.

RelayRides, which recently joined with OnStar to it easier for a customer access to a car, that entry can be parked in an owner, a commuter train station or some other place. An OnStar app enables an authorized customers to unlock the car and they drive away, the pursuit of the settlement in the process.

"The emergence of mobile apps and vehicle connectivity growth driver is in the car-sharing services," said Navigant, based in Boulder, Colo.

Lisa Jerram, Navigant's senior research analyst, said car-sharing broader complaint is that it "Members the possibility of mobility without the expense and the effort of the ownership of a car or the need, often a vehicle by a traditional car rental to enjoy rent offers."

Market growth is expected to be clear to accelerate according to the study. A handful of brands now dominate the market, and traditional businesses have a position to occupy at lightning speed. For example Avis ZipCar bought in March.

According to their website, ZipCar has about 810,000 members and more than 10,000 vehicles in a growing global network, which now includes operations in the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Spain.

Because the services members are largely based on transport, said Jerram at Navigant, "car-sharing is seen by public and private institutions as a powerful tool for the city to reduce congestion and lower greenhouse gas emissions."

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Zipcar in all-cash deal to buy Avis for $500 million

Paul A. Eisenstein, the Detroit Bureau
The company car share has just a great vote of confidence by huge Avis Rent a car, get the Zipcar for $491,2 million buys.

The move is the biggest deal yet in the market in the nascent alternative to traditional car rental systems where users could search a set of wheels for travel of less than one hour. Founded in the year 2000, Zipcar is generally considered to be the leader in the field of automotive parts and now claims 760,000 members.

"By combining with Zipcar, we will significantly increase our growth potential, both in the United States and internationally and position our company to a wider range of consumer and commercial transport must be to serve better" Avis Chairman and CEO Ronald Nelson said in a statement accompanying the announcement of Wednesday morning.

The car sharing concept has begun, the rental, young and often wealthy buyers, especially in urban areas and college campuses attract to revolutionize. Last year, Ford Motor Co. has a partnership that focus placed hundreds of new Ford models on the campuses across the country, would convince an Alliance of manufacturers eventually hopes to buy the car, as soon as she graduated students.

The challenge for many new competitors in the field was to raise capital to expand, industry experts note. Zipcar has spread so far in 20 metropolitan markets in the United States, Canada and Europe.

"It is a fact of life in these places, that people want the convenience of a car but not the effort the possession of one," noted Dr. David Cole, Chairman of the Center for automotive research, or car, based in Ann Arbor, a "so, I think the car sharing concept is going to work."

The most important difference between a car-sharing service and a traditional rental is companies such as Avis Budget Group Inc. in the provision of community-based access to vehicles which can be rented by the day or week in the short term and not.

"We are targeting a generation that only knows how to buy music from the song, so a natural for them to pay for a car per hour is", said Scott Griffith, Zipcar, the Chairman and CEO, TheDetroitBureau.com in an earlier interview.

Several leaders, including Griffith Zipcar Chairman and Chief Operating Officer Mark Norman, are expected with the company, although they will move into new headquarters in Boston.

Zipcar went in 2011 and in November said it expected end year with its first annual profit of $4 million. It was in the third quarter with a jump of 15% in revenue, which climbed million to end at $78.

Observers were the announcement, particularly with regard to the consolidation of the industry as a whole for rent not entirely surprised. Rival Hertz a takeover of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group until last month blocked.

Avis said that it expects "Significant synergies" as part of the agreement. It could ease pressure on Zipcar on weekends and other occasions, when it fights continue a enough to satisfy a large fleet to the demand. It could be the car-sharing company that expand into other metropolitan markets.

Avis even provides a premium of 49% through December 31, 2012 closing price of $8.24 save between $50 million and $70 million through the acquisition - for which he will pay $12.25 Zipcar shares. This is still a significant reduction in the exercise price of $18 per share for Zipcar was during his April 2011 IPO.

See Avis, a number of other car-sharing services are, some are looking for still more radical approaches like RelayRides Zipcar will be confronted. This concept not only skip the traditional rent counter busy, but allows individual car owners, their cars, trucks and crossover onto the market for short term rentals.

Last summer, RelayRides has a partnership with General Motors OnStar service in a renters access a vehicle without using a connection can first establish the owner of the key.

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Provide up to 1,000 vehicles Ford Zipcar

DEARBORN, Michigan - Ford Motor Co. and Zipcar Inc., said Wednesday agreed the automaker has to offer hundreds of its vehicles for car-sharing service College campus fleets in the country.

Financial details of the two-year agreement were not disclosed.

Under the agreement Zipcar will add while up to 650 vehicles of its lineup this year and up to 1,000 vehicles during the term of the agreement. Most of the vehicles are Ford focus compact car and escape sport utility vehicle, said the company.

In addition, Zipcar offers $10 off their annual subscription of $35 for the first 100,000 new students, the up for Zipcar. It is also $1 take away from the hourly rate for the first 1 million hours on one of the new Ford vehicles at certain colleges and universities.

Zipcar, founded in 2000 and has to make a profit yet, offers a twist on the typical car rental companies. Instead of too much rent, members keep a car that is parked in the vicinity, which unlock them with a key card. The cars are rented usually by the hour instead of by the day.

The arrival on campus launches the Ford cars this week.

Zipcar, the partnerships with more than 250 colleges and universities throughout North America, said that his service for college students, are especially attractive, because it helps you save money, avoid to park the anger and to reduce maintenance, and their carbon footprint.

Copyright 2011 of the associated press. All rights reserved. This material cannot be published, sent, rewritten or redistributed.

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Zipcar revs for initial public offering

NEW YORK-Zipcar Inc., the car-sharing company that rented rides for less than an hour, will receive expected to this week a warm reception from Wall Street for its planned initial public offering.

His followers think, skyrocketing gas prices car-sharing always popular will. You praise Zipcar's technologically-savvy and their plans for overseas expansion.

"Zipcar one of the long-awaited hot tickets in the IPO Valley," said John Fitzgibbon, founder of the IPOscoop.com. Investors are, IPOs again warming up to the market of 2008 and 2009 sputtered.

However, Zipcar was never profitable, since its inception in the year 2000. It expects to lose money again in 2011. Cars, his most important costs are not cheap.

The IPO value he would total in the middle of the expected price range around $125 million from $14 to $16 per share. The company expects revenue of about 89 million $, $46 million, of which plans you to use to pay down debt.

The company plans to trade on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ZIP. The offer is expected to award Wednesday night, to start Thursday with the stock to trade.

In contrast to a car rental program requires no Zipcar customers a store of value key pick up to visit. Lieber, members pay an annual fee of $60 and $25 application fee to join and get a keycard. Cars are parked in their city.

Members go online to reserve a car in the vicinity, and their key card unlocks it. Hourly rates vary, typically less than $ 10. customers pay no gas.

While Zipcar, that it more cities identified dozens where it could succeed says, there are questions how far it can expand. His model works best in densely populated areas, where many residents have cars.

Zipcar, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a giant among U.S. car sharing programs, operating in 14 cities. Most of its competitors are only one. It bought it major direct competitor, Flexcar, 2007.

However, Enterprise and Hertz car rental companies have their own car-sharing programs. An alliance called the CarSharing Association was also recently Zipcar's smaller competitors.

Zipcar expands campus with cars quickly on the College up to 230 colleges, up to 150 in June. Last year it moved overseas by buying u.k. rival tram Ltd.

Zipcar says that there are more than 100 u-Bahn areas around the world and hundreds of other universities as attractive markets has identified.

"If it works, then is anyone going to make a lot of money," car analyst Michael Millman said. "If it don't take I they can always the contract for the smaller and more profitable to be."

Millman said he is not sure if Zipcar's losses so far are a concern.

"I of which is, if they have a profit wanted to they could have a profit," said he, "but then they have to give up or delay growth."

Investment groups including Norwegian investment company Smedvig capital AS and a number of individual investors are also selling shares and part of the IPO proceeds.

Zipcar gets praise for the use of the technology: for example, members can receive text messages, if your reservation is almost on and to find out whether they can extend the rental.

The company has two tech prominent on its Board of Directors, AOL co-founder Steve case and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman.

Skyrocketing gas prices Zipcar in the short term, violate can, said Dave Brook, a consultant of CarSharing Portland in the year 1998 was founded. But she eventually interest drum could, he said.

Brook thinks turning point if car owners drive less than 5,000 miles per year. "" "That's when you start you think"I'm spending a lot of money for this car and not always a lot of value from it.""

Copyright 2011, the associated press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

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Shares of the Zipcar rally in stock market debut

NEW YORK shares of Zipcar Inc., car-sharing service a US popular with college students and city dwellers, rose 66 percent in early trading on Thursday following the initial public offering enough demand, more shares and price than the expected sale attracted NASDAQ.

$11,88 In her debut for trading at $29.88 added shares, following the initial public offering Wednesday raised$ 174.3 million.

Shareholders of the company sold 1.4 million more shares as originally planned in the initial public offering price of $18 per share, over the proposed range from $14 to $16 price.

And Zipcar is almost a decade old, a leading provider of so-called car-sharing, a service, the customers car a hourly or daily rate and Park in convenient rent may stains.

The service is especial popular in urban areas and college campus, where less people of own cars and parking is scarce and expensive.

The model has on so much, that have larger car rental Holdings Inc caught, such as such as Hertz global, company launched Holdings Inc and U-Haul, owned by Amerco, rival car-sharing services.

Zipcar is revolution by venture-capital investors including Steve case life, benchmark capital, Greylock Partners and Smedvig capital support.

Zipcars are above all the streets of 14 major cities and roaming 230 college campuses around the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Expand in Europe, about a year ago next Zipcar bought a British peer, tramway Ltd.

In February, the company of former eBay added Inc. CEO Meg Whitman Board.

The company said it planned, the proceeds from the initial public offering mostly to debt-part on tram former shareholders-pay off, but also its expanding business, marketing and service selection use.

Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan led underwriters on the initial public offering.

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters.

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