Zip car is a car rental or car-sharing American company that was founded in Jan 2000. It is a platform that meets up the daily needs of a customer who doesn’t own a car but wants to drive one for daily or occasional purposes. Its headquarters are in Boston, Massachusetts but operating & providing car rental services in all areas of the USA, Costa Rica, Iceland, Taiwan, Turkey, and the UK. The instant booking can be made 24X7 from anywhere through its app is what makes it different from car rentals. You are free from the hassle of waiting in long queues at the car rental offices. It is way far better than that. But, for booking a car through it, you have to be eligible by fulfilling some terms & conditions. It requires a clean driving history and a valid driving license to book it. So, a learner’s permit will not be sufficient to be eligible. In other words, you cannot book a Zip car through a learner’s permit. You can drive your own car with a learner’s permit but not a Zip car. A learner’s permit is issued to a person who is still in the learning process but, can’t drive alone in regular traffic conditions. It’s a temporary license issued by the concerned authority (usually DMV – Department of Motor Vehicle) to permit you to learn to drive under the supervision of an adult.
What makes you eligible to get a learner’s permit?
- The minimum age to apply for it is usually 15 years. The age limit varies from country to country but, it is in the range of 14-18 years.
- You can go to a nearby DMV located in your area and contact them to apply for it.
- There you have to give a test related to basic driving rules & regulations and a vision test.
- Complete a driver’s education course.
- On clearing the tests, you have to fill out a form given by the DMV department and submit it to them.
- Along with the form, your valid ID proof having your photograph on it should be submitted. Documents showing the proof of your age and address are also required.
- And written consent signed by your parents or guardian must be submitted along with the requisite fee for the permit & tests.
- A provisional license or learner’s permit will be issued to you with some restricted conditions for driving.
What are the requirements to take membership & to book a Zip car learner’s permit?
- You should be at least 21 years old or can be of 18-20 years if you are a college student.
- You must have a valid permanent driving license and have an experience of at least 1-2 years of driving.
- You should have a clean driving history and shouldn’t be caught drunk while driving in the past.
- An additional valid Photo ID proof, in the absence of your photo on the driving license.
- To take membership of it, you have to sign up at the app or website www.zip.com.
- You must have a valid debit or credit card to pay the membership fee of $7 per month or $70 per year.
Is it worth having Zip cars? What are the advantages of it over an own car?
| Own Car | Zip Car |
| 1. You have to pay monthly EMIs unless you are rich enough to buy a car in a single payment. | 1. No worries about paying every month a large amount of money from your salary. It can be booked at $7 per month. |
| 2. Only a single model is the available option left with you. | 2. You can book & drive different models of cars like SUVs, Sedans, etc. |
| 3. You have to pay an insurance premium for your own car. | 3. The cars are already insured by the company. |
| 4. There are parking charges and taking it to the filling station for gas is a weekly headache | 4. The gas & parking is included in the nominal charges paid at the time of booking. |
| 5. In total, owning a car comes with a lot of expenses to be spent on its maintenance | 5. You are saving around $600 annually in a Zip car as compared to owning a personal car. |
Are there any disadvantages too of using it?
- Although using a Zip car has many benefits, it has one big disadvantage that is you have to book a round trip only and have to drop the car at the same destination from where you have picked the car.
- The facility of booking a single or one-way trip is available only in a few locations that are Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. You can drop the car at the designated parking locations at the end of your travel.
Conclusion –
Having lots of benefits & low maintenance costs, people are now inclined towards preferring Zip cars rather than using their cars. This will in turn help to reduce the no. of personal vehicles on the American roads and help in lowering the air pollution & carbon emissions level. You can’t use this service with a learner’s permit but, can book a car only on having a valid driving license & clean record of driving experience.
