OREANDA-NEWS. April 15, 2016.  Zipcar, the world's leading car sharing network, today announced the launch of a new fleet management service called Local Motion by Zipcar, a comprehensive vehicle hardware and software platform that allows operators of large fleets to share vehicles effortlessly, increase utilization and streamline operations.  This technology solution is now available to support corporate, government and university fleet management customers.  

The launch of Local Motion by Zipcar enhances Zipcar's portfolio of simple and effective mobility solutions.  Designed for customer-owned and-operated fleets, Local Motion by Zipcar makes it easy for employee-drivers to access shared vehicles through a variety of enhanced features:

  • Share vehicles effortlessly. Local Motion by Zipcar technology integrates into an employer's RFID badge, allowing vehicle access with one tap on the card reader — conveniently mounted inside of the vehicle windshield. Local Motion by Zipcar supports a wide variety of vehicle types including sedans, utility trucks, electric vehicles and even golf carts.
  • Increase fleet utilization. "Tap & Go" functionality allows users on-demand access to a vehicle by scanning their RFID-enabled badge on any available car — no booking required. Reservations can also be made in advance on the Local Motion by Zipcar website, iOS app or Android app.
  • Streamline operations.  With GPS tracking, vehicle status and detailed usage history, Local Motion by Zipcar provides all the information fleet managers need to monitor and streamline their fleet. 

Local Motion by Zipcar's efficient and easy-to-use solution provides a wide variety of mobility options to corporate, government and universities who want one comprehensive solution that satisfies the needs of both drivers and fleet managers. This offering provides fleet managers with advanced analytics and reporting capabilities to make actionable, data-driven decisions for their fleet.

"With an enhanced comprehensive service, we believe Zipcar can further grow its B2B segment while continuing to reduce congestion and the number of vehicles on the road through fleet efficiencies," explained Kaye Ceille, Zipcar president.  "Local Motion by Zipcar is another incremental step toward offering a more flexible user experience to a wide range of customers and an important advancement to for our B2B segment."

Zipcar anticipates that Local Motion by Zipcar will appeal to a growing need for cost-efficient transportation for corporate and government entities. According to statistics from the Federal Highway Administration, government agencies in the United States alone operate approximately 3.7 million vehicles, and it costs some \\$21 billion yearly to maintain them. By better enabling efficient utilization and management of pooled vehicle fleets, Local Motion by Zipcar aims to take cars off the road and trim costs, helping both corporations and agencies to optimize spending and sustainability.

In 2009, Zipcar launched its first fleet management service, Fast Fleet, which has outfitted corporate and government fleets with Zipcar's proprietary car sharing technology, enabling them to gain efficiencies and reduce costs.  In 2015, Zipcar acquired Local Motion, a leading California-based developer of fleet and mobility management technology, to accelerate development of its next-generation car sharing platform and prepare for continued global growth.  Zipcar will continue to support customers using the Fast Fleet platform while it launches the new, enhanced Local Motion by Zipcar offering.  In addition to Local Motion by Zipcar, businesses and government agencies can benefit from Zipcar's presence of over 12,000 vehicles in over 50 cities and towns across the globe through the Zipcar for Business program that offers discounted driving rates Monday through Friday.