Zipcar offers an interesting service:
In the fall of 1999, our two Zipcar founders were sitting in a café, excited about a concept they had seen in Berlin while on vacation. Cars were parked around the city for members to drive by the hour instead of owning their own vehicles. They had a Eureka! moment (or maybe it was more like, “Duh! What an obvious idea.”) They put an American spin on it — outfitting the cars with wireless technology, creating a hassle-free reservation system and strategically placing the cars around key cities and neighborhoods. In June of 2000 the first Zipcars were on the road. The masses could now drive cars by the hour or day — on their terms.
They claim that 40% of their members decide against purchasing a car or end up selling their car, and that each Zipcar replaces over 20 privately-owned vehicles.
I have to wonder how a Zipcar gets treated by its drivers…