In Metro Detroit, car ownership is practically a necessity considering our lack of workable mass transit. It’s common to see two, three, sometimes even four cars to a household in our region.
But what if you could get a car on-demand? If most of your life is within a walkable distance, and you could affordably pick up a car when you need it, maybe you wouldn’t need that extra vehicle. In some denser areas of the region, that might just work for some people.
Zipcar is busy expanding their presence in Metro Detroit, this time they have added two Zipcars to the bustling suburb of Ferndale.
If you have never heard of Zipcar you might be wondering what it is. Zipcar is a car sharing network that allows members the opportunity to use any of their cars anywhere. Members can reserve a car for a few hours or for an entire day for a set price. Being a member takes away the hassle of being a car owner; no car payment, no need to get insurance, and no need to worry about paying for gas.
“Area residents now have all the benefits of car ownership without the cost and hassles, while helping the city reduce congestion and alleviate parking demand,” said Monica Wejman who is the Detroit market manager for Zipcar.
You will be able to locate a Jeep Patriot named “Coulter” at 9 Mile and Planavon and a Ford Focus Hatchback called “Piana” at 9 Mile and Bermuda. The cars are named after Ferndale Mayor Dave Coulter and Ferndale Mayor Pro Tem Melanie Piana.
When asked about the possibility of the Ferndale fleet expanding Katelyn Chesley from Zipcar said that “Our car sharing model is based on smart growth, meaning we typically launch in a new city with a few cars, monitor utilization and demand and expand accordingly. We expect Ferndale will be a big hit among residents and visitors and we’re excited to see it take off.”
You might be wondering how much it will cost to take one of these cars out for a spin. Zipcar has three different levels of membership. They list the base rates as $7.50 an hour or $69 a day for “Piana” the Ford Focus, and $10.25 an hour or $83 a day for “Coulter” the Jeep Patriot.
Zipcar launched in Detroit in 2013 with 35 cars in the fleet. They have now expanded the fleet to more than 50 cars throughout Downtown, Midtown, Hamtramck, Dearborn, Detroit Metro Airport, and now Ferndale.
If you are interested in finding out more information on how to become a Zipcar member you can go to their website or mobile app.