Zip car, Q3 profit?

The once considered ‘too wacky to work’ concept may soon be the darling of green minded Wall Streeters. It has always been an innovative concept that has required the determination of a few visionaries to keep the dream alive. And even though they have been in operation for about seven years now, Zip car is still seen by most as a fringe concept; an idea that still only appeals to a particular, well defined segment of the population. But the funny thing is, that minority segment is the very same cross section of society that is going to grow rapidly over the course of this century and will most likely be one of the more influential segments of society in the coming years. This segment is predominantly made up of our young, urban professionals who are keenly resourceful, hip to the world around them and are unafraid to take advantage of the opportunities afforded to society by the simple fact that we are growing as a population but not spreading out. And instead we are packing in, more densely, at least here in New York, more so than in any other time in recent history.

Financial analysts at Zipcar and some on Wall St. expect Zipcar to turn its first profit in the third quarter of this year. Many anticipate an IPO to follow that might be welcomed by investors on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (see a recent NYtimes article that talks about this possibility). Sharing, socialista style, can be profitable. Going green, enabling society to exercise its vast potential resources through concepts based on the idea of shared commodities and the disengagement from private property as something to be singularly possessed, is a major step in the march towards more efficient and communal forms of living here in America. The potential energy that could be exercised once the majority recognizes that this is the direction that sophisticated societies, such as ours, which have reached an oversaturated level in terms of single minded personal consumption models, the speed at which our society will propel itself into the future, will be dramatic by today’s standards. The time and energy each person will gain from more socialized modes of operations will lead to an increase in leisure time by way of a decrease in levels of capital required to live the kinds of lives many of us strive to lead. And thus less time will be allocated to the creation of that capital. By relinquishing some of our independence, we will in fact gain more autonomy over the direction of our lives and thus greater latitude in making decisions about our lives that will be borne out of a thought process that is less constrained by the social and economic factors that currently prevent many of us from making truly independent and soul enriching choices. Sharing IS truly a demonstration of caring…for oneself in the most selfish of ways.