Chaos Review

Have you ever rented a car at Zipcar Inc.? Have you used their zipcard? Do you know about the ingenious technology the zipcards use for driver authentication and for wireless vehicles’ administration? The idea and the utility of the RFID technology that the company uses currently is just amazing.

Zipcar Inc., Cambridge, Mass.-based Zipcar is one of the car-sharing company in North America, rendering self-service, on-demand cars that can be rented by the hour or day.

Steps to rent a car at Zipcar Inc.

1. Check out the eligibility criteria and join the zipcar community to receive your zipcard.
2. Make a reservation online.
3. Pick up the car from the location that’s very near your home.
4. Open the car using your zipcard
5. Park it back in the same location.
6. Details of payment to me made are sent home and that makes it easy.

The innovative technology behind the zipcard

Zipcar Inc., has parked around 2,000 cars across various locations where they offer service unlike any other car renting company.

The details…

• To use the car, you just  wave your zipcard in front of the windshield.
• The RFID reader, which is associated with the windshield of the car, reads the information on the RFID tag in your zipcard.
• A separate unit is embedded at a concealed location within the car and this enables the transmission of the driver’s data to the central database via the wireless Cingular network.
• After verifying the reservation data and the driver’s login details on the RFID tag in  your zipcard, the doors of the car open.
• You can use the car for the stipulated period of time and park the car back in the same spot and just walk home.
• Payment details are sent home with ease.

What’s more?

Zipcar makes use of this RFID technology for driver verification and for remotely administering their vehicles. Even when the user forgets to switch off the headlights, the RFID system embedded within, sends signal to the head office enabling better maintenance of the vehicle. This innovative unit also assists the company in monitoring the fuel data and battery drain out conditions. That’s reality though its unbelievable and the ease to rent a car contributes to Zipcar’s popularity.