Car sharer Zipcar has launched service in Taipei, Taiwan, the first major city launch in Asia for the brand.
Nominated as the official world design capital in 2016 for its recognition in urban planning, Taipei is one of the 25 most populous cities in Asia and as such, it faces the common challenges of tackling congestion and a need for people to move around the city more easily. With global car sharing members forecast to reach 23.4m by 2024, with the Asia-Pacific region being 49% of that number, according to independent figures from Navigant, Taipei is the ideal city for launch in the region.
The company has launched its popular round-trip car sharing service in Taipei to provide consumers with access in the city with vehicles picked up from a designated parking bay and returned to the same location. Members will have access to a wide range of vehicles including the Volkswagen Golf, Audi A1, Ford Focus and Fiesta. Small vans such as the VW Caddy will also be available for journeys such as moving house and the Sharan for getting larger groups around town.
Massimo Marsili, who oversees Zipcar International operations, said: "Today's launch marks a great milestone. Not only are we extending our operations to another world-class city tackling congestion, but it will be our first launch into the Asia-Pacific region and we look forward to welcoming members in Taiwan to our network."
Zipcar already operates in 500 cities and towns across Europe and North America.
