Zipcar’s UK exit points to failure of government policy on car sharing

Avis-owned car sharing firm has paused London bookings until 31 December 2025 while it considers an exit

News that Zipcar is poised to shut its doors on its only remaining UK operation (in London) has prompted an outpouring of frustration from loyal users.
The restaurant critic Jay Rayner posted on Bluesky that he was “dismayed” by the decision. “The car club availability was at the heart of our decision to abandon car ownership around five years ago,” he added.
Car sharing schemes (sometimes known as car clubs) are on the rise in Europe, with the number of vehicles available across the region up 8% last year to 129,000, according to a November report by car sharing tech company Invers.
In the UK, though, this alternative to urban car ownership has regressed. Despite being the second most populous European country, the UK had a shared-car fleet of just 5477 in 2024, compared with 45,400 for Germany and 13,862 for France. And the exit of market leader Zipcar and its fleet of nearly 3