Seattle university campus goes from car sharing to electric bikes

The US state of Washington has developed one of the most extensive car sharing networks in the country, thanks to Flexcar’s pioneering efforts and, more recently, Zipcar’s entry into this market. Car sharing first took off on American university campuses and as such, perhaps it is not surprising to note that the newest trend is also making its debut among college students. Intrago Corporation is getting ready to roll out its fleet of electric bikes starting this August at the University of Washington’s Seattle campus. According to media reports, the firm will start off by offering 40 electric bikes for rental, but this number is expected to grow in the near future.

It appears as though Intrago has based much of its approach and business concept on the methods of major car sharing services, such as those offered throughout much of the US by Zipcar. The most striking similarity is the fact that students interested in renting an electric bike will get accustomed to the same self-service approach that one would experience in the hourly car rental industry. One major difference, however, between car and bike sharing is that Intrago does not require clients to take a round-trip. This means that it is entirely permissible to pick-up a bike at one location, and then drop it off at another.

Intrago’s next step will be to expand its service to train stations, in order to allow travelers to jettison a much more costly taxi ride, or slower and potentially less comfortable experience with public transit.

www.zipcar.com

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