Duke students will associate a new name with on-campus car rentals this Fall.
WeCar, a subsidiary of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, has replaced Zipcar as the campus car-sharing service, said Chris Brown, external chief of staff for Duke Student Government. WeCar offers more cars, higher daily mileage limits, cheaper overnight rates and longer reservation maximums. WeCar vehicles will be available for rental Aug. 15.
“It was really a no-brainer to switch to WeCar with the options and business model they offered,” Brown said. “Working with Zipcar was very frustrating.”
Brown, as the former vice president for athletics and campus services, worked closely last year with Duke Parking and Transportation and WeCar to make the transition. This is the second partnership the University will make with WeCar’s parent company, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, which has a long-term rental partnership with the University.
Duke Parking and Transportation and DSG also explored other car sharing services earlier this year because Zipcar’s contract is set to expire Aug. 31. WeCar offered to place 15 cars for rent on campus lots, Brown noted, compared to Zipcar’s current placement of eight cars. WeCar also offers a wider variety of vehicles—including SUVs, minivans and the Chevrolet Volt, an electric vehicle. Zipcar limited its fleet to sedans and hybrids.
Officials from Duke Parking and Transportation could not be reached for comment.
Travis Reike, an account manager in Zipcar’s university division, said Zipcar’s lack of vans and SUVs was likely a major factor in Duke’s decision to switch to another service.
Senior Hannah Smith said she has not used Zipcar while on campus, but would consider using WeCar because it offers larger vehicles.
“For a while, only one of my friends had a car, and I remember our group [of friends] really cramming into it,” she said.
WeCar will also hire a Duke student to handle marketing and promotions for the service, working to build a stronger campus presence, Brown added. DSG and the administration considered opening a WeCar kiosk in the Bryan Center but that plan has been delayed until the Spring.
Some drivers will have an easier registration process with WeCar. WeCar allows international students to enroll by presenting only a valid International Driver’s License, Brown said.
The daily mileage rate with WeCar is 200 miles, as opposed to 180 miles with ZipCar, and students can reserve cars for a seven day stint as opposed to Zipcar’s four days. Hourly rates and annual fees remain the same, with WeCar charging $8 per hour and $35 annually.
DSG initially tried to negotiate with WeCar to offer a lower hourly rental rate before WeCar ultimately agreed to match Zipcar’s price.
“We lost no ground in our negotiations with WeCar,” Brown said. “For the same price, we’re getting a better service.”
But, per WeCar policy, students under 21 applying for a membership need to have parental consent, a condition ZipCar customers did not face.
Junior Joe Anderson said, however, that the policy would not make him less likely to become a WeCar member.
Current Zipcar customers will be reimbursed for their balances upon switching to WeCar and will also receive free membership for their first year.
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