Enterprise Acquires City Car Club

LONDON, April 1, 2015 /CNW/ -- Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the world's largest vehicle rental business, today announced the acquisition of City Car Club, Britain's biggest independent car sharing company. The purchase reinforces Enterprise's capabilities as one of the UK's leading providers of mobility solutions to individuals and businesses that require a vehicle for an hour, a day or for longer periods.

Already one of the UK's largest 'car sharing' providers to the public sector under the Enterprise CarShare brand, the acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, strengthens Enterprise's position as a leading player in the UK's sharing economy.

Enterprise CarShare is currently operational across public sector organisations throughout the UK. With City Car Club being aimed at private and corporate renters, Enterprise will utilise the acquisition to support fast-growing demand for car sharing and mobility services amongst businesses as well as for leisure motoring.

The agreement covers all of City Car Club's assets, including its 800+ vehicles, 45 employees and 30,000 members. Its vehicles are available to members 24 hours a day, seven days a week in 17 cities around the UK.

In the immediate short-term, the Enterprise CarShare and City Car Club businesses will continue to operate as two separate brands, with a view to creating a combined entity in the future.

Enterprise vice-president, Brian Swallow, said: "This is an exciting time for mobility businesses such as Enterprise. We see the acquisition of City Car Club as a way of extending our service to business and private motorists looking for flexible travel options.

"As a privately owned business City Car Club already shares many of our values – in particular, our enthusiasm for innovation that genuinely drives customer service and delivers against customer needs. City Car Club even uses the same type of in-car technology as Enterprise CarShare.

"Beyond the government's stated aim to enhance the sharing economy, people and businesses are turning to rental as a simple and environmentally-responsible way of making journeys. Enterprise aims to provide all varieties of mobility and car sharing is an increasingly important part of the mix, particularly in cities.

"Currently the Enterprise CarShare service is targeted at business users and our data shows that this is as important a market for car sharing in the UK as demand from city dwellers. However, the acquisition of City Car Club allows us to offer that same level of service, flexibility and convenience to private renters as well."

Enterprise brings extensive experience of private user car sharing from the US, where its membership-based Enterprise CarShare programme currently operates in universities, businesses and for individuals in cities across the country.

About Enterprise Rent-A-Car

In the UK, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is a specialist in providing replacement vehicles and courtesy cars, which are relied upon in the event of an accident. Enterprise, with more than 7,000 offices in the UK, Germany, Ireland, France, Spain, the United States and Canada, also offers daily and weekend rental for private or business use.

St. Louis-based Enterprise Holdings, the largest car rental service provider in the world, operates the Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand through its regional subsidiaries. Enterprise started in the UK in 1994 and has rapidly expanded. Currently operating more than 370 locations across the UK, with over 4,000 employees, three quarters of the UK population are within five miles of an Enterprise location. 

For more information about Enterprise, visit www.enterprise.co.uk. For more information about Enterprise's environmental stewardship and long-term commitment to the sustainability of its business, visit www.drivingfutures.co.uk.

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SOURCE Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Lara van den Bogaard, T: 020 3697 4368, E: [email protected]; Anil Haji, T: 07714 719 416, E: [email protected], http://www.enterprise.co.uk