Students in Storrs now have cost-effective access to a vehicle without needing to bring a car to campus.

This semester UConn welcomed the car-sharing service, Zipcar, to campus. The company now has 10 cars on campus, parked in designated spots in several lots, including Northwest Residence Halls, Field House, Whitney Road, Towers Residence Halls, and the Nathan Hale Inn.

Under the service, the cars are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Students, faculty, and staff ages 18 and older, as well as members of the local community over the age of 21, can reserve them online. The driver picks up the car and returns it to the same space.

UConn members can currently join for $15, with rates for Zipcar vehicles on campus starting at $7.50 per hour and $69 per day. After the first year, members will pay an annual membership fee of $25. Gas, insurance, and up to 180 miles of driving per day are included in Zipcar rates, and cars can be reserved for as little as an hour or for multiple days.

“Zipcar will provide a much needed service, allowing our students who occasionally need access to a car a cost-effective means of using a vehicle without having to have a car on campus,” says UConn transportation planner Tanya Husick.

Members with iPhones and Android devices may download the Zipcar mobile app to make reservations, lock and unlock the vehicles, and honk the horn to help locate the vehicle. Reservations can also be made over the phone or on Zipcar’s website.

“We’re excited to join the Husky family and provide students, faculty, and staff with access to our ‘wheels when you want them’ car-sharing service,” says Katelyn Bushey, Zipcar director of university sales. “UConn is now home to more Zipcars than any other school in Connecticut, offering new levels of freedom and mobility without the hassles of bringing a car to campus.”

Zipcars are now at more than 500 universities across North America. Go online for information and how to become a member of Zipcar at UConn.