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Flexcar is an American vehicle subscription company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Flexcar revolutionizes the concept of car ownership by offering flexible, monthly subscriptions to a wide array of vehicles, without requiring any down payments. This service is available in several major regions, including the greater areas of Boston, MA, Providence, RI, Stamford, CT, Atlanta, GA, Nashville, TN, and Charlotte, NC, with plans for further expansion.

Flexcar's model prioritizes convenience and cost-savings. Members can choose from an extensive fleet of cars via Flexcar's website or mobile app, with options for pickup or delivery. The service includes comprehensive coverage such as maintenance, insurance, and roadside assistance in a single monthly payment, allowing for upfront and monthly cost savings. Additionally, Flexcar offers flexibility, enabling customers to swap vehicles or cancel their subscriptions at any time without penalty. This customer-centric approach, combined with the promise of savings and flexibility, positions Flexcar as a compelling alternative to traditional car ownership and leasing models.

History

While the Flexcar of today is known for its vehicle subscription model, the company shares its name with an earlier pioneer in car-sharing, founded in March 1998. This section delves into the origins and evolution of the original Flexcar, a separate entity established by Tracy Carroll, Dave Brook, Conrad Wagner, and Neil Peterson. In January 2000, the Flexcar service was launched to 100 members served by 4 cars in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. Through a public–private partnership with King County Metro, Flexcar became the second company in the United States to become completely carbon-neutral in 2003, after Shaklee in 2001. By developing a partnership with American Forests, Flexcar ensured that enough trees were planted every year to offset the exhaust from its fleet of shared vehicles. Spurred on by the company's excellent customer service and neighborhood champions, Flexcar expanded to Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, Gainesville, Florida; Rochester, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Tempe, Arizona, Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and Columbus, Ohio. In addition, Flexcar partnered with the non-profit, I-GO carsharing service in Chicago, Illinois, and provided service in Phoenix, Arizona in partnership with Arizona State University.

Flexcar members could choose a rate plan. The fees covered gasoline, insurance, maintenance, and cleaning. The vehicles provided by Flexcar were late-model sedans, with other types, such as light trucks, hybrids, convertibles, and minivans, also available. Each vehicle had a home location, a reserved space either in a parking lot or on a street, typically in a populated urban neighborhood or on a college or university campus. Members reserved a car by web or telephone and used a key card to access the vehicle. A reservation was required to specify the pickup and return times so others could schedule the vehicle.

The company targeted drivers who made occasional use of a vehicle as well as drivers who wanted occasional access to a vehicle of a different type than they use day-to-day. Flexcar claimed that the service was economically beneficial to anyone whose car would be away from their home about 15 hours a week and did not need a car for their daily commute to work.

In several of its cities, the company had formed a public–private partnership with local public transit entities. For example, in Seattle, they were partnered with King County Metro Transit, which operates the area's buses.

In April 2001, Flexcar became the first car-sharing company in the U.S. to expand to a second city by acquiring CarSharing Portland in Portland. At the time, Flexcar's customer base in Seattle included over 1300 members sharing 40 cars. Carsharing Portland, which began business in March 1998, had at the time of its acquisition over 500 members with 25 vehicles in and around downtown Portland.

The company also started^{[ when?]} an initiative to convince Downtown Seattle employers to join their program as business members rather than maintaining their own fleet vehicles. Other market segments included placing vehicles at transit stations to provide "last mile" connectivity between transit and suburban office locations and providing subsidized vehicle access as part of low-income "jobs access" programs.

In August 2005, Revolution LLC, the holding company owned by Steve Case, founder of America Online, purchased a 60% holding interest in Flexcar. The company announced that this investment would lead to a rapid expansion of their operations. ^[1]

In January 2007, Flexcar changed their billing structure of their hourly rentals. These changes replaced their flat fee for a variable pricing plan, which calculated cost on peak and non-peak hours with mileage limited to 150 miles per day. Members were notified on the organization's website and by letter that, "[v]ariable pricing provides two benefits. Members with flexible schedules can now save money by reserving the car during its 'off-peak' time, in this case, on the weekend. Because some members will shift their trips to 'off-peak' times, the car’s availability should also improve during its 'peak' times as well."

On October 30, 2007, Flexcar executives announced a merger with car-sharing rival Zipcar. The merger consolidated the operations of the two corporations. Executives from both companies, in the announcement of the merger, stated that the Flexcar headquarters in Seattle would be closed, possibly resulting in the loss of jobs as operations transferred to Zipcar's headquarters in Boston. ^[2]

See also

• Transportation in Seattle
• Transportation in Portland, Oregon
• Transportation in Los Angeles

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Flexcar.