Zipcar announces details of new service in downtown KC

Zipcar, an international car-sharing service, launched Monday in downtown Kansas City with eight vehicles at four new locations, allowing people to rent a car by the hour or by the day, seven days per week online or through a mobile app.

“Get ready to start your engines,” Councilman Jermaine Reed said as he and Mayor Sly James used Zipcards to unlock and start two of the new vehicles (with a little coaching from Zipcar representatives).

Zipcars will be based at the following locations:

▪ A Mazda 3 and a Subaru Crosstrek AWD with bike rack will be parked near Union Station at Pershing and Main Street.

▪ A Mazda 3 Hatchback and a Nissan Versa will be at 19th and Main streets.

▪ A Volkswagen Golf and a Jeep Renegade will be at 14th Street and Baltimore Avenue.

▪ A VW Golf and a Ford Fiesta will be at Third and Delaware streets in the River Market.

They are strategically located along the downtown streetcar route from River Market to Union Station and have been touted as a way for people to rely less on their own cars. People can ride the streetcar downtown in the morning, take Zipcar to locations all over the city during the day if needed, and then return those cars to their location.

Zipcar already has two cars at Kansas City International Airport and two more at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. While the company has declined to provide details about demand for those cars, it has said the expansion downtown is indicative of the performance so far.

“We are so pleased with the support we have received from the city,” said Nef Albino, general manager for the Kansas City region.

Albino said customers can join online or with a mobile app. The membership cost is $7 a month or $70 a year, and then there’s the cost for the drive time. For first-time or infrequent users, the hourly rate starts at $8.50 but varies based on the vehicle make and model. People can reserve by the hour or day, or up to a year in advance. Gas, insurance and daily mileage are included in the price. Vehicles can be driven up to 180 miles in a day but must be returned to the original location.

People who sign up online are mailed a Zipcard, which they can then use anywhere Zipcar is available. Reed said he used it some years ago when he lived in Washington, D.C., to go to the grocery store or take day trips, and it allowed him to get by without owning a car.

Advocates said that unlike traditional rental car companies, where customers need to visit a counter and many offices are closed on Sundays, this approach is available 24 hours a day.

Zipcar was a startup in 2000 and is now available across the U.S. and in some countries overseas.

But since Kansas City is a relatively untested market, it’s not certain how popular it will be. Kansas City Parking Services Manager Bruce Campbell said that when the city sought proposals for a car-sharing service downtown, Zipcar was the only bidder. As a result, the city is providing the eight parking spaces for free in this trial year. Eventually, if the service succeeds, the city may charge Zipcar a flat fee to provide the service in downtown Kansas City.

This story was originally published October 24, 2016 at 5:34 PM with the headline "Zipcar announces details of new service in downtown KC."