Zipcar celebrates 25 years of environmental impact this earth month
April 1, 2025

This Earth Month, Zipcar Celebrates 25 Years of Driving Environmental Change with “Dream Green Giveaway” 

BOSTON, April 1, 2025 – Zipcar, the world’s leading car-sharing network, is celebrating 25 years of reducing emissions, easing traffic, and helping cities reclaim space — one shared trip at a time. To mark this milestone, Zipcar is launching its Dream Green Giveaway, a nationwide contest that rewards environmentally conscious members and community changemakers who envision a greener future. To enter, Zipcar is asking everyone – students, urbanites, car and non-car owners alike – to dream green and answer one question: What does 2050 look like with even fewer cars on the road? 

Since 2000, Zipcar has been at the forefront of transforming urban mobility. By making car sharing simple, convenient and affordable, Zipcar has empowered millions of people to live car-free or car-light, helping cities reduce congestion, cut carbon emissions, and repurpose space dominated by personal vehicles. 

“Over the past 25 years, Zipcar members have shown that access beats ownership — and that small changes in how we move can add up to big environmental wins,” said Angelo Adams, President of Zipcar. “The Dream Green Giveaway is our way of celebrating the impact our members have made and encouraging even more people to imagine a more sustainable future, which is possible when we re-think how and why we walk, bike, take the bus or subway, and, when we need to, drive.” 

Dream Green Giveaway 

Zipcar members and sustainability champions across the country are invited to share their “green dream” for a future with fewer cars on the road, which is possible through sharing versus owning a car.  To enter, provide a photo, video or written entry answering, “What does 2050 look like with fewer cars on the road?” 
 
To help enable the right transportation for the right trip, two winners will receive an annual Zipcar membership and $1,000 in Zipcar driving credit (for when driving is the only option), a new road bike (for cycling in city), a new pair of walking sneakers (for errands that are a quick walk), and a gift card from for ridehailing (for those short-distance, inter-city trips). And, the winners will have naming rights to a Zipcar Electric Vehicle! 

Entries must include a video, photo, or write-up (no less than 300 characters) and must be submitted to www.zipcar.com/dreamgreen between April 1, 2025, and April 15, 2025. A panel of Zipcar judges will review the submissions, which must demonstrate 1) a clear understanding of why fewer cars on the road helps make a positive environmental or social impact (50% weight) and 2) demonstrate a persuasive, effective outcome within the answer (50% weight). The top two submissions will be announced on Earth Day, April 22, 2025. To enter and for official rules, visit www.zipcar.com/dreamgreen. 

Car Sharing’s Impact on Carbon Emissions 

Driven by a mission to enable simple and responsible urban living, Zipcar envisions a world where car sharers outnumber personal car owners. People who share a car help reduce carbon emissions, congestion, and parking demand while providing more space for people (instead of personally owned vehicles). According to Zipcar’s 2024 North American Transportation Survey (NATS): 

  • Car sharers reduce their carbon footprint compared to car owners. Car sharers reduce their carbon footprint by 1600lbs (one ton!) annually. Zipcar estimates that it has helped reduce 15 billion lbs. of carbon emissions since Zipcar hit 1 million members in 2016. 

  • Access to convenient shared vehicles reduces car ownership. From its research, Zipcar estimates that 500,000 personal vehicles were sold or not purchased by Zipcar members in 2024 because of convenient access to a shared vehicle. 

  • Purpose-driven transportation reduces carbon emissions. 76% of members report that they combine trips and plan errands more efficiently to reduce car usage. They take purpose-driven trips because they choose the right transportation for the right trip (e.g., walking to a convenience store, biking to the library, transit to work and driving for grocery runs, appointments and getaways). 

  • More carpooling means fewer cars on the road. More people carpool (2.12 per Zipcar) than the national average (1.5 per personal car). With higher vehicle occupancy, Zipcar estimates that 14 cars are taken off the road for every 100 Zipcar trips, thanks to higher-vehicle occupancy. 

Founded in 2000, Zipcar solves a real-world need for cities, campuses, and businesses by providing environmentally friendly, sustainable transportation. Car sharers reap the benefits of accessing a vehicle only when they need one – for grocery runs and appointments to visiting friends and family or road trips for weekend getaways – compared to car owners who rack up the costs and hassles of car ownership while also contributing to climate change. To learn more about the social and environmental impact of Zipcar, visit https://www.zipcar.com/ziptopia/city-living/combatting-climate-change-with-car-sharing .  

Zipcar-specific data was collected as part of Zipcar’s 2024 North American Transportation Survey, a survey with a sample size of approximately 5,922 respondents in North America.  

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About Zipcar 

Zipcar is the world's leading car-sharing network, driven by a mission to enable simple and responsible urban living. With its wide variety of self-service vehicles available by the hour, day or week, Zipcar operates in urban areas and university campuses in hundreds of cities and towns. Zipcar is a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: CAR), a provider of mobility solutions. More information is available at www.zipcar.com.