Another Car Sharing Option Coming

On Monday, Sept. 23, Enterprise Rent-A-Car will muscle its way into the DC car sharing market. The company’s Enterprise CarShare division will have more than 40 locations throughout DC—about 30 will be in Wards 1, 2 and 6—with plans to double that number by the end of November.

What to know:

• For a limited time, the application fee and one-year membership charge will be waived for all DC members
• Discounted hourly rates (as low as $5 per hour) will be offered for trips made before Dec. 31
• Hybrids, plug-ins and fuel-efficient vehicles will be offered
• Cars are now available in more than 15 markets, including New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago

Once Enterprise CarShare arrives, DC will have four car sharing programs. The others:

• Zipcar (403 8th Street)
• car2go
• Hertz 24/7

Zipcar started as the city’s sole car sharing firm. But in 2011, the District Department of Transportation opened the door for others, and both Hertz and car2go launched last year.

Hertz offers traditional, green Smart Electric, and plug-in hybrid vehicles at Union Station, Reagan National Airport and other DC locations. Car2go, with its blue and white Smart Fortwo vehicles, is located throughout the city. Zipcar now offers additional cars, including Zipvans.