Zipcar stopped accepting UK bookings at the end of 2025, leaving Londoners without one of the city’s largest short-term car-hire services. Although several alternatives remain, none offers quite the same combination of widespread availability, hourly bookings and one-way Zipcar Flex journeys.
The best replacement will depend on where you live and how long you need the vehicle. Enterprise Car Club and Co Wheels are closest to the traditional Zipcar model, while Hiyacar and Turo let you hire cars from local owners. Kendall Go serves a small part of south-west London, and Virtuo is better suited to daily rather than hourly rental.
The Best Zipcar Alternatives at a Glance
| Service | Type of hire | Best for |
| Enterprise Car Club | Hourly or daily car club | The closest overall alternative to Zipcar Roundtrip |
| Co Wheels | Hourly or daily car club | Affordable short local journeys |
| Hiyacar | Cars rented from local owners | Finding a vehicle close to home |
| Turo | Daily rental from local owners | Full days, weekends and a wider choice of cars |
| Kendall Go | Small local car club | Drivers in Wandsworth and New Malden |
| Virtuo | App-based daily rental | Longer trips and newer premium vehicles |
Prices are not always directly comparable. Some services include fuel but charge for mileage, while others require you to replace the fuel you use. Insurance excesses, booking fees and road charges can also affect the final cost.
Enterprise Car Club
Enterprise Car Club is probably the closest replacement for Zipcar Roundtrip. Vehicles are parked in designated bays, booked through an app and unlocked using a phone. Bookings can be as short as 30 minutes, but cars must be returned to the bay where they were collected.
London prices vary by membership plan, location and vehicle. Fuel and roadside assistance are included, although drivers pay an additional mileage charge.
Enterprise also operates vans, electric cars and larger vehicles, making it a useful option for shopping trips, house moves and journeys outside London. However, its network is smaller than Zipcar’s was, so check the map before paying for membership.
The standard insurance excess can be high, although members can pay to reduce it.
Best for: Regular hourly bookings, van hire and former Zipcar Roundtrip users.
Co Wheels
Co Wheels follows a similar round-trip car-club model. Members reserve a vehicle through the app, collect it from its designated location and return it there afterwards.
Fuel, insurance and breakdown cover are included, with mileage charged separately. Co Wheels can be particularly competitive for bookings lasting only a few hours, although prices depend on the membership plan and vehicle.
The main limitation is availability. Its London network has expanded, but coverage remains uneven. Check whether there are cars within a practical walking distance before joining.
Best for: Short, inexpensive local journeys where nearby vehicles are available.
Hiyacar
Hiyacar allows drivers to rent cars belonging to people in their local area. Some bookings require an arranged handover, while vehicles fitted with its QuickStart technology can be unlocked through the app.
Owners set the basic rental price, but booking fees and insurance are added. The insurance cost can vary according to the driver, vehicle and journey, so the advertised hourly rate may be considerably lower than the final total.
Fuel is not normally included. You are usually expected to return the car with approximately the same amount it had when collected.
Hiyacar can be useful when there are no traditional car-club vehicles nearby, but prices, rules and collection arrangements vary between listings.
Best for: Finding a nearby car and choosing from a wider range of vehicles.
Turo
Turo is another marketplace for cars owned by private individuals, but it is mainly designed for daily bookings rather than short hourly hires.
It offers a broad range of vehicles, including small hatchbacks, electric cars, seven-seaters, vans and premium models. Some owners also provide delivery to an agreed address or location.
Protection plans and other charges are added during the booking process. Each vehicle also has its own mileage allowance, fuel policy and excess-mileage fees.
Turo is unlikely to be the cheapest choice for a two-hour errand, but it can compare favourably with car clubs when you need a vehicle for most of a day or an entire weekend.
Best for: Day trips, weekends away and drivers needing a particular type of vehicle.
Kendall Go
Kendall Go is a small app-operated car club serving Wandsworth and New Malden. Vehicles are reserved and unlocked using a phone before being returned to their original base.
Hourly and daily bookings are available, with fuel, insurance and a mileage allowance included. This can make it good value for short journeys covering more than a few miles.
Its usefulness is limited by its small operating area, but it is worth checking for anyone living nearby.
Best for: Drivers close to its Wandsworth and New Malden locations.
Virtuo
Virtuo is closer to an app-based rental company than a traditional car club. Identity checks, booking, damage reporting and vehicle access are all handled digitally.
Cars are available from several London locations, including major railway stations and Heathrow Airport. The fleet generally consists of newer and more premium vehicles than those found in hourly car clubs.
Bookings are normally charged by the day, and fuel is not included. Virtuo therefore makes more sense for longer journeys than for quick trips around London.
Best for: Full-day rentals, airport journeys and premium vehicles.
Is There an Alternative to Zipcar Flex?
There is currently no direct London-wide replacement for Zipcar Flex.
Enterprise Car Club, Co Wheels and Kendall Go require vehicles to be returned to their original bays. Hiyacar and Turo cars must normally go back to their owners, while Virtuo vehicles are returned to an agreed rental location.
Anyone who previously used Zipcar for spontaneous one-way journeys may now need to use public transport, a taxi or conventional one-way car hire.
Which Option Is Best?
For a journey lasting one to three hours, compare Co Wheels and Enterprise Car Club. Kendall Go may be better for drivers living close to one of its vehicles.
For a half-day trip, compare an hourly car-club quote with the cost of hiring through Turo or Hiyacar for the day.
For a full day or weekend, Turo, Virtuo and conventional car rental will often be more suitable than an hourly car club.
For a van, Enterprise Car Club is the closest alternative to Zipvan, although vans may also be available through Hiyacar or Turo.
Additional Costs to Check
Always compare the complete booking price rather than the advertised hourly or daily rate. Possible extra costs include:
- Mileage charges
- Booking and insurance fees
- Fuel
- Congestion Charge payments
- ULEZ charges for non-compliant vehicles
- Parking
- Late-return or cleaning fees
- Damage excesses
The Congestion Charge applies to vehicles driven within the charging zone during its operating hours. The ULEZ covers every London borough, so check the vehicle’s compliance when renting an older privately owned car.
It is also sensible to photograph the vehicle at the beginning and end of every booking, particularly when hiring from an individual owner.
The Best Zipcar Replacement May Be a Combination
No single company currently matches everything Zipcar offered in London. Enterprise Car Club or Co Wheels may cover short local journeys, while Turo, Hiyacar or Virtuo could be used when a car is needed for longer.
Availability is likely to matter more than small differences in advertised prices. Before joining any service, search its live map using your home and work postcodes and check how many vehicles are realistically within walking distance.