Flexcar Delivers Philadelphia Freedom — From Car Payments
Flexcar’s Service Lets You Have Access to a Car Without Owning One
Flexcar (www.flexcar.com) today announced it has expanded to the city of Philadelphia with an initial fleet of 30 low-emission vehicles, growing to more than 100 by year’s end. The vehicles are available to residents and businesses by the hour for a simple fee which includes gas, insurance, parking, maintenance, 24×7 roadside assistance and 150 free miles per day. The fleet includes hybrids, sedans, minivans, pickup trucks and sporty cars, including MINI Coopers. Philadelphia becomes Flexcar’s 11th U.S. city, extending the company’s national footprint.
Flexcar gives its members the freedom of owning a car without the cost and hassles. Flexcar’s “point-click-drive” system lets members have a car just when they need it, paying for it just when they use it. Initially, vehicles will be located primarily in downtown garages. The company expects to have more than 100 vehicles in place by year’s end.
“We believe Philadelphia will become one of the strongest markets in the United States for car-sharing,” said Flexcar CEO Mark Norman. “We expect to grow our fleet and our member base rapidly as more people take advantage of the convenience and cost-savings of Flexcar.”
Vehicles are parked in conveniently located reserved parking spots throughout downtown. Members reserve a Flexcar online or via touchtone phone, use their Flexcard to open the doors, take their trip, then return the car to its parking spot at the end of the reservation. For as low as $6 per hour ($3 during off-peak) members can have a car when they need one, paying only when they use it. Fees include gas, insurance, 150 free miles per day, parking, maintenance and 24×7 emergency service.
The convenience and cost savings of car-sharing are compelling enough that many members sell an existing car or avoid buying a new car. The average American spends in excess of $650 per month to own a car; the average bill for a Flexcar member is just under $100 per month. In fact, for what most people spend on monthly insurance alone, they could have more than 25 hours of Flexcar per month, which is about how many hours per month most people drive. Studies also show that members of car-sharing programs drive about 40 percent fewer miles and increase their use of public transit. The cumulative impact of this behavior shift is fewer cars on the road during peak congestion times, reduced parking demand and dramatically reduced emissions.
Businesses are increasingly taking advantage of the same convenience and cost savings, using Flexcar for employee mobility. With dozens of cars located downtown, it’s easy for employees to use Flexcar for meetings, site visits or other business-related trips. Flexcar Business Memberships include invoices that can be coded according to a company’s internal cost tracking, making it simple to account for (and expense) employee transportation. Flexcar Business Members have been able to save thousands of dollars a year by replacing or augmenting company fleet cars with Flexcar.
Flexcar, which has seen double-digit growth in revenue and membership growth in the past year, continues its expansion on the East Coast. The company added vehicles in Baltimore in late March after launching services in Gainesville, Florida earlier this year, and has plans to open service in other cities soon. Flexcar is on pace to nearly double the size of its fleet in each of its existing markets. With operations in 11 metropolitan areas, Flexcar has the most U.S. locations of any car-sharing provider.
About Flexcar
Flexcar founded the U.S. car-sharing industry and now operates programs for tens of thousands of members in 11 metropolitan areas, covering more than 40 cities. By the hour or by the day, members can reserve and drive any of these cars whenever and wherever they need to, without filling out complicated paperwork or paying for insurance, gas or repairs. Flexcar Business Memberships enable companies to augment or replace their fleet with Flexcar vehicles. Flexcar’s University programs enable campuses to address parking and mobility issues for faculty, staff and students. Flexcar’s fleet includes environmentally-friendly hybrid sedans, utility vehicles (including pickups, minivans, AWDs) and sporty cars (including MINI Coopers, Miatas and Scion tCs). Flexcar is a portfolio company of Revolution Living, an operating unit of Steve Case’s investment firm Revolution, LLC. More information on the company is available online at www.flexcar.com.
Editor’s Note: Correct spelling and punctuation of name is “Flexcar” (not Flex-car FlexCar, Flexicar or Flex Car).
Contacts
Scoville PR
John Williams, 206-625-0075
jwilliams {at} scovillepr(.)com
