Zipcar expands in Bethesda as some competitors disappear (Photos)

Zipcar is winning the car-sharing war in downtown Bethesda. The company is essentially the only game in town at this point. Hertz On Demand once had a presence downtown but has vanished. Zipcar now holds 4 spaces here in the Cordell-St. Elmo garage alone, where Hertz once operated, and many others around town.

Other players seeking to expand in the area include Enterprise and the promising new Maven service from General Motors. The latter offers A-list vehicles like the Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Volt.

Zipcar is the one with the physical presence at this moment, however. Right now, for example, Maven's cars are parked only within the District. None are close to the D.C. line in Palisades, Spring Valley or Tenleytown, either.

Zipcar space blocked on Woodmont Avenue (Photos)

Zipcar users are being temporarily cheated out of using the service at the stop in front of Reddz Trading on Woodmont Avenue in Bethesda. The parking space designated for Zipcars only is being used as storage during a utility project, apparently.

New Zipcar spaces being added to downtown Bethesda parking lot (Photos)

Montgomery County Public Parking Lot 28 is getting two Zipcar spaces. Under the surveillance of King Kong, who roosts atop a building in the New York-via-Las Vegas mural alongside the lot, signage has been installed for the car-sharing service.

Some attempt to temporarily mask the signage has been made, but the telltale logo ornament atop the sign was a dead giveaway, and one of the covers has flapped aside to reveal the sign underneath.

NEW ZIPCAR BY REDDZ TRADING IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

A new Zipcar space has appeared on Woodmont Avenue near Norfolk Avenue, in front of clothing boutique Reddz Trading. The space is active on the Zipcar website, and was occupied last evening by a Zipcar Subaru named, "Eisenhart." Yes, the Zipcars now have names to make them more personable. This new Zipcar at 7805 Woodmont Avenue should be convenient for residents of Fairmont Plaza, and the future 7770 Norfolk apartments.

Meet Eisenhart

ZIPCARS ON SITE AT PIKE AND ROSE (PHOTO)

The first residents of the PerSei luxury apartments at Pike and Rose have another way to get around. Zipcar now has vehicles on-site, even as much of the Phase 1 development there hasn't opened yet. Developer Federal Realty also has had prominently-placed Zipcars at its Bethesda Row property, here in downtown Bethesda, for several years now.

ZIPCAR ABANDONS CORDELL AVENUE CARSHARING STATION (PHOTOS)

Only weeks after a competitor, Hertz On Demand, entered the car sharing market in downtown Bethesda, ZipCar has abandoned the station it kept several vehicles at curbside on Cordell Avenue.

All other ZipCar locations in Bethesda remain in service as of now.  It's unclear if there just wasn't demand at that location, or if it was too costly to rent the spots.

Those ZipCar spaces have now been returned to public use, and are metered.

HERTZ ON DEMAND TAKES ON ZIPCAR IN DOWNTOWN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

Hertz is after a piece of the car-sharing market in downtown Bethesda. Hertz On Demand is the company's answer to ZipCar, and is now available at several downtown Bethesda locations.  This short video gives you a quick primer on how the service works.

Hertz On Demand cars are available at the following locations around downtown Bethesda: 4817 Edgemoor Lane (The Metropolitan public parking garage), 7301 Waverly Street, and 4538 Middleton Lane.

But there is also a fourth location, so new it doesn't appear on the website yet: the Cordell-St. Elmo public parking garage. I haven't seen any Hertz On Demand vehicles in those 2 spaces yet, but the sign has been installed.

I tried the website, and located cars at the other 3 locations, as you can see in the screen captures I took below. Then I went in person to find the Fiat 500 and Toyota Yaris, and sure enough, there they were.

The cars are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and you can also reserve them in advance. No word if they'll add a full-size van like ZipCar has - the biggest Hertz car I found downtown was the Jeep Liberty.

ZIPVAN MAKES FIRST APPEARANCE IN DOWNTOWN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

EVEN IF YOU'RE

GREEN,

RESPECT THE VAN

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

I am a van aficionado.  I've always been a fan of the classic Ford Econoline, Chevrolet and Dodge Ram cargo, passenger and conversion vans.  Even small vans get approval from me, and sometimes even imported attempts at vans, when they resemble vans.  Recently, I was admiring the new Nissan van that was getting thrashed by some spaced-out car critics.  I don't know what they were talking about.  It has real-van-man van styling.  Hence it is a van, and gains entry into the exclusive Van Club.  Respect the van.

Now, here comes a Zip vehicle even van lovers can respect:  the Zipvan.  Ordinarily, you'd hear "Zipvan" and think, "it's a Scion, right?"

"Wronggggg!," as Donald Rumsfeld would say.

It's a full-size, American cheeseburger, V-8 packing Ford Econoline van.  And ready to haul all of your belongings, furniture and home theater purchases, etc. around town, or back home to your downtown apartment.

For those living a car-free lifestyle, the Zipvan is a major help in doing so.  It can fill most of the necessary jobs the tiny ZipCar can't.

Plus, if you have Van Fever like me, here's a rare chance to hit the great American highway in your own Ford Econoline.  Even if it's just for a few hours.  Hear that V-8 roar.

Respect the Zipvan.

LONELY ZIPCAR SEEKS DRIVERS ON CORDELL AVENUE IN BETHESDA

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS!

As Zipcar continues a rollout of new vehicles in Montgomery County, I found one parked all by itself on an empty stretch of Cordell Avenue.  It's not getting the attention the new Bethesda Row Zipcars are, but it's here and waiting for you to borrow it in Old Town Bethesda!

ZIPCAR MAKES A SCENE AT BETHESDA ROW (PHOTOS)

When Zipcar announced it was coming to Bethesda Row last year, the carshare vehicles were originally assigned to an Elm Street garage.

Now, Federal Realty has created 2 designated carsharing street parking spaces in a prominent spot, outside of Barnes and Noble on Bethesda Avenue.

The new spaces, filled by a Honda Civic and Toyota Sentra eager to be borrowed, had passersby talking.  They certainly will increase awareness and usage, with the vehicles out in a hot spot where people are gathering anyway.

Enjoy this exclusive photo gallery of Zipcars and their VIP (VIC?) parking spots at Bethesda Row!

Click here for new photos from Zipcar's other new downtown Bethesda location, Cordell Avenue!

Have you used Zipcar at Bethesda Row, or elsewhere?  How would you rate your experience?