Hertz will take on Zipcar by spring
Increasing the pressure on industry leader Zipcar of Cambridge, Hertz Corp. will begin offering car-sharing services in Greater Boston by late spring as part of a major expansion.
"We see car-sharing as being a $1 billion market with potential to grow," said Paula Rivera, manager of public affairs for Hertz.
Car-rental giant Hertz launched Connect by Hertz in December in New York City, its headquarters city of Park Ridge, N.J., and in London and Paris. It looks to enter 40 more US and foreign cities this year.
Hertz will probably commence service in some other US cities when they begin in Boston, Rivera said, but is not expected to announce any new foreign openings yet.
Connect by Hertz operates very much like Zipcar. Customers pay a monthly membership fee, pick up cars at one of a number of locations in specific cities, then are charged on an hourly basis. 