Zipcar to Shutter Boston Headquarters, Lay Off Staff

A major car-sharing service has announced it is closing its Boston headquarters, ending operations in the city where it began.

Car rental company Avis Budget Group said it is “consolidating Zipcar's headquarters” into its global base in Northern New Jersey, “as part of a broader effort to enhance Zipcar's long-term operational effectiveness,” according to a statement provided to MassLive.

An Avis Budget Group spokesperson confirmed on Monday, Feb. 2, that, as a result of the consolidation, the company plans to lay off 65 employees in Boston by April. The Boston Business Journal added that the company will lay off approximately 61 remote workers elsewhere in the country.

According to the Avis spokesperson, Zipcar's regional field and fleet operations teams will continue to operate in Boston and other cities after the headquarters closes “to support members and day-to-day service without interruption.” 

Boston.com noted that Robin Chase and Antje Danielson founded Zipcar in 2000. It was among the first in its service industry to adopt a subscription model for platform technology that provides access rather than vehicle ownership. 

According to NBC News, the company expanded in the years that followed, and by 2009, it was the world's largest car-sharing service. Avis bought Zipcar in 2013.

Zipcar announced in December 2025 that it was ceasing operations in the United Kingdom after 15 years. A BBC report shared that the company had approximately 650,000 members in the United Kingdom who rented cars by the hour or by the day through the app. Zipcar attributed its revenue shortfalls to high energy costs.