Zipcar to move corporate headquarters out of Boston, eliminating 126 jobs with April layoffs

Zipcar’s corporate footprint in Boston is set to shrink as parent company consolidates operations

Zipcar, the car-sharing company founded in Cambridge about a quarter-century ago, is preparing to close its Boston corporate office and move its headquarters functions to the New Jersey offices of its parent company, Avis Budget Group. The shift is expected to result in 126 job eliminations, including 65 positions in the Boston area and 61 remote roles nationwide, with layoffs scheduled to begin in early April.

State and city notifications outline a targeted layoff window starting April 1, 2026, with separations continuing into mid-April for affected Massachusetts-based employees. The company has indicated that the corporate restructuring is an organizational consolidation rather than a withdrawal from the Boston market.

What changes—and what does not

Zipcar’s day-to-day service in Greater Boston is expected to continue. Fleet and field operations teams are slated to remain based locally to support vehicle availability, cleaning and maintenance cycles, and member support in the region. The company has stated that members should not anticipate disruptions in booking or access to vehicles as a result of the corporate relocation.

• Corporate headquarters roles tied to the Boston office are being eliminated as functions are integrated into Avis Budget operations.
• Regional operational teams supporting the local fleet are expected to remain in place in Boston.
• Layoffs are planned for early April 2026, affecting both local and remote employees.

Boston’s long relationship with a car-sharing pioneer

Zipcar’s roots in Greater Boston made the company an early emblem of the region’s transportation innovation: a membership-based model allowing urban residents to reserve cars by the hour or day as an alternative to private ownership. The company later established major offices in the city, including in the Fort Point area, as it expanded nationally and internationally.

Avis Budget acquired Zipcar in 2013, and the brand has periodically adjusted its staffing and structure since then as the car-sharing market has evolved alongside ride-hailing, micromobility, and shifting commuting patterns. The current decision adds Boston to a list of locations affected by consolidation moves within the broader mobility sector.

Broader restructuring context

The Boston office closure follows other recent pullbacks by Zipcar outside the U.S. In late 2025, Zipcar disclosed plans to exit the United Kingdom market, citing persistent financial and operating pressures there. While the company has not tied the Boston consolidation directly to that decision, both moves reflect a strategy of narrowing operational complexity and centralizing corporate functions.

Zipcar has described the Boston changes as a restructuring of corporate teams, while maintaining that its core service will continue operating.

For Boston-area employees, the next milestone is early April, when layoffs are expected to take effect and state workforce response processes typically begin mobilizing assistance tied to large job reductions.