Car2go has become the second company this year to challenge Zipcar locally. Zipcar has been top dog since its 2007 merger with Flexcar, but its stock has trended downward after its IPO last year. Here’s a look at what sets the car-sharing companies apart.
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| Membership fee | $25 application fee plus a $60 annual fee for occasional drivers | None | One-time $35 start-up fee |
| Rates | $8 per hour; $74 per day for occasional drivers | Starts at $6.50 per hour, $76 per day | 38 cents per minute, $13.99 per hour, $72.99 per day |
| Insurance deductible | $750 (you can buy a waiver for an extra $8 per month) | $250 | $1,000 |
| Number of cars in area | 823 | 100 | 200 |
| Where the cars are | 350 locations in 47 DC, Maryland, and Virginia neighborhoods | 30 area locations, including on-street parking spots, parking garages, and Hertz facilities | Any legal street parking spots in the "home" area, which covers most of DC |
| Best car to impress a date | BMW 328xi | Mercedes C300 | Smart Fortwo |
| US membership | 500,000 | 90,000 | 27,000 |
| Best driver perk | Surprises waiting in the car such as granola, Valentine's candy, or tickets to a comedy show | The luxury cars aren't branded with the Hertz logo, so you can pretend it's your Mercedes for the day | The company has an agreement with DC so you can park free in most of the city |
This article appears in the June 2012 issue of The Washingtonian.
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