Zipcar’s Car-Sharing Network Proves You Don’t Need to Own a Car to Take Out a Date

The Short Version: The logistics of dating can be tricky for singles who don’t own a car. Do you bike to a date and risk showing up sweaty or rain-drenched? Do you take a bus and risk arriving late? You have to get to a date in order to go on a date, but it’s not easy without wheels of your own. Fortunately, Zipcar gives drivers a new way to get around town. Since 2000, more than 1 million members have rented a wide variety of vehicles on an hourly or daily basis from this car-sharing service. All you have to do is make a reservation online, go to your ride’s designated parking space, tap your Zipcard to the windshield, and start driving. The global company has over 12,000 cars, vans, and trucks ready to go at a moment’s notice, so you’ll never end up stranded on a date. Zipcar is an affordable, earth-friendly, and convenient way to travel, so give it a try next time you’re planning a date with someone special.

A few years ago, my college roommate had a crush on a guy I nicknamed Superman because of a particularly heroic hoodie he often wore. Plus, he was pretty muscular.

After months of coy flirtation, Superman finally asked my roommate out. He suggested walking across the street to a coffee place after class one day. Once they ordered their coffees, Superman had a confession to make. “Listen, I gotta tell you something,” he said ominously. My roommate braced herself for a bombshell — crazy ex? Child out of wedlock? Killed a guy? — so when he said, “I don’t own a car,” she laughed in relief.

That was why he hadn’t asked her out sooner, he explained. He didn’t have the wheels to take her out and relied on buses to go everywhere. Superman’s car-less status wasn’t a dealbreaker for my roommate, but it is a significant inconvenience for daters who need to be mobile. Even in a small college town, not every date venue is within walking distance.

Revolutionizing the dating scene, Zipcar offers car-less daters an easy and affordable driving solution. The company’s global car-sharing network greatly benefits singles and couples who want to save money and save the planet while remaining free to travel and show someone special a good time.

Zipcar memberships start as low as $7 a month and include gas, mileage, and insurance.

Zipcar was founded in 2000 by two women in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As Kate Hickman, Zipcar’s Communications Manager, said, “Zipcar was created to provide city dwellers access to a vehicle when they needed it without the cost or hassle of owning a car.”

Today, Zipcar is the world’s largest car-sharing company with thousands of on-demand cars available 24/7 for personal use or business purposes. Members pay by the hour or the day, so it’s a uniquely flexible and affordable option for modern mobile daters.

Drivers 18 and older can join Zipcar and enjoy a more modern means of transportation. Its 1 million members range in age, but a large portion are millennials who are attracted to the freedom and accessibility of Zipcars. “This group is really the first generation to begin to move away from traditional attitudes about car ownership and personal transportation,” Kate said. “For them, it’s all about access rather than ownership.”

Zipcar has a presence on more than 500 university campuses so students can pick up a date in style — even if they don’t own a car.

Zipcar’s fleet includes over 50 makes and models from compact vehicles to cargo vans.

The process is incredibly simple: you sign up online as an individual or with an organization or university. Once approved, you’ll get a Zipcard that unlocks more than 12,000 vehicles around the world. Then you can reserve a day or range of days when you want to use any of their vehicles, which range from compact cars and luxury vehicles to SUVs and spacious vans. Zipcar keeps more than 50 different makes and models gassed up and ready to go whenever you are. Reservations can be made online or from the Zipcar mobile app.

“At the beginning of your reservation, simply tap your Zipcard on the windshield, and the doors unlock. The key is already in the car,” Kate explained. “Take your trip, and bring it back to its designated parking spot when you’re done. It’s that simple.”

According to the company’s stats, Zipcar members save an average of $500 a month on car expenses, including car payments, maintenance, gas, and parking. Many urbanites love the convenience and reliability of Zipcars. Instead of worrying about car upkeep and where to park, you can join Zipcar, reserve your vehicle, tap the windshield, and drive wherever you need to go. If you’ve got a hot date, this is a great way to get there in style without breaking the bank.

One night, my college boyfriend decided to whisk me away to go stargazing from the bed of a pickup truck. He drove a Honda Civic, so he had to borrow his dad’s truck, which meant we had to call it a night by a certain time. If we’d used Zipcar, however, we could’ve borrowed wheels of our own and lingered under the stars as long as we wanted.

Many couples benefit from the driving options available through Zipcar’s fleet of vehicles available in local neighborhoods, airports, cities, and college campuses around the world. “Zipcar is absolutely a great resource for singles and couples who don’t own a car,” Kate said. “We actually know that almost 15% of our members cite going on dates as a core way that they use Zipcar.”

“We’ve never owned a car in Toronto. We use Zipcar quite a bit for family activities.” — Chris Murphy, a Zipcar member and proud father

“We’ve heard that members love picking up someone for a first date in one of our luxury vehicles like a BMW,” she said. “And our members in long-term relationships love grabbing a Zipcar for a special date night or trip, or even just to drive around and enjoy time together.”

Plus, the Murphy family says using Zipcar has helped them raise their two kids in a big city. “We love traveling with the kids,” said Yashy Selvadurai Murphy, a lifestyle blogger in Toronto. “And we travel quite a bit.”

Whether you’re taking a road trip with a significant other or going on a surprise date night stargazing trip, taking a Zipcar is a convenient, affordable, and reliable way to travel.

The Zipcar team aims to redefine the way people get from A to B. Zipcar’s services provide high-tech and sustainable alternatives to everyday transportation needs — that means fewer cars on the road causing less congestion and pollution.

“We view Zipcar as a community. People come to work at Zipcar because they are passionate about our values,” Kate said. “The culture we’ve developed fosters innovation and growth as well as teamwork and fun. Employees know that they can have an impact – and that is very meaningful.”

The Zipcar team works hard to make the conveniences of a car more accessible to people wherever they roam. Ultimately, the company’s mission is to make getting around town a stress-free and fun experience for people of all ages. The brand’s car-sharing service provides cheaper and greener options for drivers on the go — which is a terrific plus for singles active in the dating scene.

Every year, Zipcar team members participate in a bike race to raise money for cancer research.

According to the website, “We’re not trying to rule the world, just trying to give regular people — young and old, business types and family types — the freedom to live life.”

For daters, especially college-aged singles, being mobile is necessary. Your dating options are limited if you can’t drive yourself to a bar or pick up a date in a car. My roommate had to work around the bus schedule when making plans with Superman. Unlike DC’s caped crusader, my roommate’s date was unable to whisk her away whenever he wanted.

Using Zipcar allows car-less daters to ditch unreliable public transportation and zip around town much more freely and stylishly on their own time.

Since 2000, Zipcar has offered car-less individuals a mobile lifestyle at a low cost.

Zipcar members enjoy all the perks of car ownership without worrying about maintenance, parking, or insurance payments. By joining this network, you’ll have easy access to thousands of vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Whether you want a fuel-efficient Hybrid to take on an intimate road trip or a spacious SUV to use for a family grocery run, Zipcar can meet your needs and get you rolling in no time.

The Zipcar team keeps their eyes on the horizon as they develop convenient and innovative means of transportation for singles and couples worldwide.

“The future of urban mobility is tremendously exciting, and we have big plans to drive it further and faster in the coming years,” Kate said. “First and foremost, our goal is always more cars in more places. We envision a world where car sharers outnumber car owners.”