Philly Car Share Sells Out To Enterprise Holdings
by Mercedes Jones
Earlier this week Philly's favorite non-profit announced big news to it's members and the City of Philadelphia. With a smile on their face, Philly Car Share (PCS) announced that they are selling themselves to Enterprise Holdings (EH), a privately owned, St Louis based company and major player in the car rental industry.
Enterprise acquired the nine year old company in a undisclosed deal, and will not be liable for the $2.7 million that PCS owes in taxes and penalties. It turns out, that for a matter of years PCS was playing the nice guy and not charging its members a $2 rental tax on certain reservations. A 2010 audit unearthed this blunder and the hefty seven figure debt.
The public hasn't been given the details of the acquisition, but PCS has happily shared some major components of the deal, to keep concerned members at ease: The company will no longer be a non- profit, but a privately owned, regional entity of EH's WeCar division; EH's industry stature means an increase in vehicles & pods, newer models and more rate plans to choose from; and even though the buy out is immediate, members will not experience an interruption in services.
PC's big news was not only a shock to it's thousands of members, but a pivotal point in the future of the company's ethics. PCS has carved out it's niche as a pioneer in the car sharing industry, and its ethical stance is what has been a distinguishing factor been PCS and competitor Zipcar.
Even though Philly Car Share is easing its members through the process, they are still a little squeamish about such a big name getting behind the wheel. Some of them taking to Twitter to air their grievances:
Even though they are losing claim to their highly coveted non profit status Philly Car Share remains optimistic. Stating in a release to members:
"We are proud that PhillyCarShare will be part of the Enterprise family and the company’s customer service legacy. We also are excited to be able to continue offering important and sustainable local transportation options in the Philadelphia area, regardless of whether the transaction is for an hour, a day or even longer."
As a member myself, I appreciate Philly Car Share's comforting smile, but it doesn't quell the sadness and disappointment that I have for the loss of such a cool ass concept!
A copy of the official press release can be found here. Philly Car Share is also soliciting suggestions from members, so if you have any ideas, put up or shut up!