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 🛑 Zipcar zips shut in the UK

Zipcar, the car-sharing operator owned by the US car rental group Avis Budget, has announced it will shut down its UK operations by the end of 2025. Despite closing Oxford, Cambridge, and Bristol last year, the company runs one of the biggest shared fleets in the country, with nearly 3,000 vehicles (including more than 1,000 electric cars), serving hundreds of thousands of members across London.

The decision to close comes after significant financial losses, including an £11.6 million loss in 2024, and growing challenges for car-sharing profitability in the UK. A major trigger is London’s upcoming congestion charge change, which will apply to electric vehicles from 2026 — adding an estimated £1 million per year in extra operating costs for car-sharing fleets. Combined with rising costs and operational pressures, Zipcar concluded its UK business is no longer viable.

 🇮🇹 Zity withdraws from Milan

Adding to an already difficult week for car-sharing, Renault Mobilize has announced the closure of its Zity service in Milan, ending three years of operations and more than 1.7 million rentals. The electric service will officially cease activity on 18th December.

The move mirrors Zity’s recent withdrawals in France: the service shut down in Paris in January 2024 and in Lyon in April 2024. With Milan now closing, Madrid — with a fleet of around 500 cars — is the last remaining city where Zity continues to operate.

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CITY UPDATES 🌐

Bethune, Lens (FR) | Bike sharing project postponed.

Cholet (FR) | Two-thirds of vehicles out of service for a week during planned service improvements.

Emmen and Bad Bentheim (NL & DE) | Shared bikes to be placed along the new rail link between the two towns from December 2026.

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INDUSTRY NEWS 🗞️

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