Zipcar Archives - ETCentric

Alphabet, Uber and Lyft Take Actions to Promote Smart Cities

By Debra Kaufman
February 5, 2018

In October 2017, Alphabet debuted a partnership with Toronto to further the goals of a smart city. Dubbed Sidewalk Labs, Alphabet plans to observe and measure how people live, to optimize city streets. To that end, Alphabet just launched another venture under the Sidewalk Labs rubric, Coord, intended to utilize the company’s cloud-based platform to streamline transportation networks. Separately, ride-sharing competitors Uber and Lyft, with 13 other companies, signed a shared “mobility pledge” to enable more livable cities. Continue reading Alphabet, Uber and Lyft Take Actions to Promote Smart Cities

GM Debuts Maven, Program for Several Car-Sharing Initiatives

By Debra Kaufman
January 22, 2016

Electric cars, autonomous cars and ride-sharing are all disruptors in the automotive industry, but General Motors, for one, is focusing on taking advantage of opportunities in changing times. The company just launched Maven, a program that aggregates its various car-sharing efforts, with a team of 40 GM staff and others from Google, Zipcar and Sidecar, with the goal of developing additional car-sharing services. First up is a car-sharing trial in Ann Arbor, Michigan, focusing on the university community. Continue reading GM Debuts Maven, Program for Several Car-Sharing Initiatives

GM Invests $500 Million in Lyft and Partners on New Initiatives

By Rob Scott
January 5, 2016

Ride-hailing service Lyft announced yesterday that General Motors recently invested $500 million in the San Francisco-based startup. The investment represents half of Lyft’s latest venture financing round, which values the company at $4.5 billion. GM and Lyft will work together to develop an on-demand network of autonomous vehicles, taking on companies such as Google, Tesla and Uber in the process. In addition, the two companies are planning short-term car rental hubs that would provide work opportunities for potential Lyft drivers who do not have their own vehicles. Continue reading GM Invests $500 Million in Lyft and Partners on New Initiatives

Google’s Ingress Game Combines Virtual and Real World Play

By Meghan Coyle
July 16, 2014

“Ingress,” a multiplayer game that uses the entire globe as its game board, made its debut on iOS this week. Now, iPhone users can join in the fun of working with other online gamers to find real life portals in their community and progress through the “Risk”-like game. “Ingress” already has about four million downloads on Android devices in about 200 countries. Google has also taken advantage of advertising opportunities, allowing businesses to pay to become a portal. Continue reading Google’s Ingress Game Combines Virtual and Real World Play

CEA Chief Describes New Era of Sharing Enabled by the Web

By Rob Scott
November 14, 2011

Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, provides a compelling commentary on America’s ownership culture and the trends that are steering it toward a new shared ownership strategy.
“First, America’s declining wealth requires we cut costs where possible,” Shapiro writes in Forbes. The recent credit crunch has impacted purchasing and many young people are more likely to share housing with family or friends than in previous years.
“Second, our declining wealth means we need to find creative ways to get the same item or service for less,” he adds, citing examples such as vehicle sharing through ZipCar, emerging bicycle sharing programs, and educational videos shared online.
“Third, the Internet allows those with similar needs to connect quickly, easily and efficiently. More, mobile devices, such as smart phones, tablets and the plethora of apps, allow us to share information with each other and with retailers — increasing efficiency and putting together buyers and sellers.”
Shapiro explains that the Internet is a powerful tool that helps facilitate sharing and provide access at a lower cost. “After all, sharing is a far more efficient method of resource distribution than owning, and perhaps we will all have ‘more’ in the end.”