Enterprise Partners with UW-River Falls to Offer Car Sharing

Oct. 1, 2012 – Enterprise Rent-A-Car is partnering with the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF) to offer car sharing through WeCar by Enterprise.  Available to students, faculty and staff, as well as local residents, WeCar by Enterprise is a membership-based, automated car rental option that offers a sustainable, efficient and cost-effective transportation alternative to the River Falls community. Registered members have access to two fuel-efficient Toyota Prius hybrids parked in the middle of campus at Wild Rose Avenue and South Sixth Street.   

"We are working with WeCar to bring a sustainable and affordable transportation option to our students, faculty and community," said Jerry Waller, sustainability coordinator for Student Affairs at UWRF. "This initiative provides students with additional transportation options, even if they don't have a vehicle on campus. In fact, we hope the program will reduce the need for cars on campus and contribute to our sustainability efforts."   

Students (18 and older) are eligible for membership in WeCar, which offers around-the-clock access to hourly, daily and overnight rentals. WeCar allows members to maintain the benefits of a personal car while only paying for the vehicle when it is being used. Campus car-sharing programs are especially popular with students because they provide a solution to car rental age restrictions, as well as financial concerns associated with having a car on campus.   

Members reserve a vehicle online, then access the vehicle using a membership card and return it to the same location. Fuel, basic physical damage to the vehicle and state-required liability protection are included in the standard rate plan.   

"WeCar provides students at UWRF with a low-cost, convenient transportation solution located right on the campus," said Ryan Johnson, assistant vice president, WeCar and Rideshare for Enterprise. "Our car-sharing program is a sustainable, totally automated and efficient mobility option that can help alleviate parking and transportation challenges at universities across the United States."

WeCar is a natural extension of the local car rental service Enterprise pioneered and continues to provide, and WeCar programs are supported by the extensive Enterprise Rent-A-Car neighborhood network of more than 5,500 rental offices located within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population, including a local branch in Hudson. Local Enterprise operations maintain cars and have the flexibility to add WeCar vehicles to meet demand. In addition, Enterprise regularly recruits and hires graduates from UWRF.   

At UWRF a Brand Ambassador Internship program is being established to market the car-sharing service on campus. WeCar by Enterprise operates car-sharing programs on more than 50 college campuses throughout the United States and Canada, as well as corporate, government, military and downtown programs throughout the United States.  

UWRF students, faculty and staff with a credit card and valid driver's license can sign up for the program at www.wecar.com/uwrf. Organizations interested in WeCar can learn more at www.wecar.com, and additional information about WeCar is available by following @WeCar on Twitter.   

About WeCar by Enterprise 

The WeCar by Enterprise car-sharing program provides a totally automated, membership-based and environmentally friendly transportation solution, whether it is for an hour, a day, a weekend or longer. Enterprise Rent-A-Car launched hourly car rentals in 2005 and local car-sharing in 2007 as a natural extension of its business rental program and longtime focus on customized service in communities. Today, Enterprise Rent-A-Car's WeCar program offers mostly hybrids and plug-in vehicles, delivering car-sharing technology's speed, efficiency and economy nationwide to businesses, universities and government offices looking to enhance their fleet management operations and sustainability initiatives. Convenient and cost-effective, WeCar vehicles are accessible around-the-clock. Supported by the extensive Enterprise Rent-A-Car network of locations, the WeCar program is able to build on Enterprise's well-established Virtual Car® rental service and its track record for making local car rental convenient and affordable for those who prefer to "buy for the need and rent for the exception."  In addition, WeCar car-sharing complements other Enterprise programs that help customers reduce traffic congestion, fuel consumption and vehicle emissions.   

St. Louis based-Enterprise Holdings owns and operates the Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand and the WeCar program. With annual revenues of $14.1 billion and more than 70,000 employees, Enterprise Holdings also operates, through its regional subsidiaries, more than 1 million cars and trucks, making it the largest and most comprehensive car rental service provider in the world measured by revenue, employees and fleet.  For more information about Enterprise Rent-A-Car's WeCar program, visit www.wecar.com. For more information about Enterprise Holdings' environmental stewardship and long-term commitment to the sustainability of the car rental and car sharing business, visit www.DrivingFutures.com and follow @LeeBroughton on Twitter.