Zipcar is piloting its Flex one-way carsharing service at London Heathrow T5 in a 90-day trial that could bring significant cost benefits for users.

The Zipcar Flex one-way car sharing scheme is now being trialled for Heathrow T5.

The trial – which follows the launch of the Zipcar Flex scheme last year – enables Zipcar members to drive one-way between London and Heathrow T5 in a Zipcar Flex vehicle and is significantly cheaper than traditional car hires, black cab and ride-hailing apps, according to the firm.

Members can pick up or drop off cars – comprising automatic and manual transmission petrol Volkswagen Polos – in any one of thousands of approved parking bays in ‘Zipzones’ across the capital and dedicated spaces at T5’s Short Stay Car Park directly opposite the terminal’s building. Zipcar Flex cars can be booked, unlocked and accessed in a matter of minutes using the Zipcar app.

Users are charged at 29p per minute with a cap of £12 per hour and a £5 operational fee added to all trips starting or ending at Heathrow Terminal 5 during the pilot. This means that a 60-minute journey from the central London Zipzone to the airport could cost £17.

Jonathan Hampson, general manager Zipcar UK, commented: “As Londoners and travellers know, getting to and from a London airport can be stressful and expensive. By introducing Zipcar Flex at Heathrow Terminal 5 we aim to change all that. We want to make it easier, more efficient and also more cost effective for both business and leisure travellers to get to and from their destinations.”

Following its launch last year, Zipcar Flex is now available in Wandsworth, Merton, Lambeth, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Hackney, Waltham Forest and Islington, with more London boroughs signing up to scheme.

Zipcar also still offers its original Roundtrip service, which operates from dedicated on-street Car Club Only bays all across the city.