PARIS, April 16, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zipcar, the world's leading car-sharing network, today announces its partnership with SNCF, France's national railway operator, to integrate into its "door-to-door" mobility service.
Founded in 2000 in the United States, Zipcar has pioneered a new model of vehicle ownership, enabling its members to hire cars by the hour or by the day in locations close to where they live and work. Having launched in Paris in September 2014, today's partnership with SNCF marks a milestone in the company's mission to shape the future of urban mobility in countries around the world.
The partnership with SNCF will offer Zipcar members and SNCF frequent travellers the opportunity to complete their journey with a Zipcar on arrival at their designated station. With a roll-out planned at 25 stations over summer 2015, the partnership will enable Zipcar to cover all major cities in France.
With the increasing pressure on transport infrastructure in cities across the globe, Zipcar works closely with government, city authorities and transport stakeholders to facilitate new mobility services and to ease the pressure on congestion in the cities where it operates. The increased footprint of Zipcar across France that will come with the SNCF partnership further demonstrates Zipcar's commitment to France and its international expansion. Having launched in Turkey this month, Zipcar is now available in seven countries, 470 towns and cities, 400 universities and over 40 airports across the world.
The initiative will be rolled out to SNCF frequent travellers in the form of a mobile application called 'IDpass.' This application will provide SNCF members with instant access to book a number of transport options 'on the go,' enabling them to conveniently complete the final leg of their journey. Zipcar members will also benefit with increased access to Zipcars across France. For example, a Zipcar member living in Paris will be able to board a train to Bordeaux to then drive to beautiful to Lacanau for a surf session.
Massimo Marsili, President, Zipcar International, said: "We are proud to partner with SNCF today to help bring progressive mobility solutions to the French market. The unique combination of our scalable technology platform, combined with our dedication to working closely with transport stakeholders in the cities we operate, has enabled us to build a scalable and consistent offering that forms a critical part of the solution to the transport issues we face in our major cities across the world today."
Barbara Dalibard, Director General, SNCF Voyageurs, said: "SNCF's ambition is to integrate simple, efficient, customisable and shared mobility services. We have therefore developed solutions catering to everyone's needs prior to boarding a train, whilst they are travelling and once they have reached their end destination. Partnering with Zipcar will enable our customers to seamlessly book a Zipcar with the 'IDpass:' you simply open the car with your 'IDpass', get in and drive."
About Zipcar:
Zipcar, the world's leading car sharing network, has operations in urban areas and college campuses throughout Austria, Canada, France, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. Zipcar offers more than 30 makes and models of self-service vehicles by the hour or day to residents and businesses looking for smart, simple and convenient solutions to their urban and campus transportation needs. Zipcar is a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:CAR), a leading global provider of vehicle rental services. More information is available at www.zipcar.com or www.zipcar.fr.