🚗 Stop Zipcar Leaving the UK — Protect Car Sharing Before It’s Too Late

Zipcar has announced that it is proposing to cease its UK operations and has now entered formal consultation with its UK employees.

As part of this process, Zipcar has temporarily suspended future bookings — meaning no new reservations can be made beyond 31 December 2025, pending the final outcome of the consultation.

This proposal is not yet final.

There is still time to act — and to make clear that fair, supportive transport policy matters to the public.

🌍 Why This Matters

Zipcar is one of the UK’s most widely used car-sharing services, providing:

• Affordable access to a car without the cost of ownership
• A reliable option for people who cannot get parking or cannot afford a private car
• Flexible mobility for essential trips, work shifts, appointments and emergencies
• Lower traffic and emissions by reducing unnecessary private car purchases

If Zipcar leaves, many people may be pushed towards more expensive or less sustainable alternatives at a time when budgets, roads and public transport systems are already under pressure.

⚠️ Why This Is Happening

Zipcar has cited a combination of rising operating costs, including:

• Increasing insurance premiums
• Higher electricity and charging costs
• Falling electric-vehicle resale values
• Taxes and fees that do not distinguish between private cars and shared cars
• New congestion-charge rules that will apply to many EV car-club trips

These pressures make it increasingly difficult for shared-mobility providers to operate sustainably in the UK.

🏛️ What Needs to Change

We call on the UK Government, Transport for London, and local authorities to:

• Review the congestion-charge rules affecting electric car-club trips
• Create a fair policy category or exemption for shared-mobility vehicles
• Recognise the environmental and social benefits of car sharing within transport regulations
• Engage directly with operators to prevent this proposed exit from becoming permanent

This is not about protecting a single company — it is about ensuring that any sustainable mobility service can survive here.

🔄 What’s at Stake

If the proposal to shut down Zipcar’s UK operations goes ahead without policy action, the UK risks:

• More private cars on the road
• Higher congestion and emissions
• Fewer affordable transport options
• A major setback to sustainable, shared mobility nationwide

Car sharing should be supported — not unintentionally priced out.

✍️ Please sign and share this petition.

Zipcar’s exit is still only a proposal.

With public support and policy attention, it does not have to become a final decision.

Let’s ensure that the UK remains a place where sustainable, flexible and affordable transport options can thrive — not disappear.