car sharing

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Do We Even Need Cars Anymore?

October 28, 2009 in Biz News, MPG, emissions by kristen | No comments

It’s no surprise to learn that people are buying fewer cars these days than they have in years. An article in the Sunday New York Times by Micheline Maynard explores why exactly that is, and it’s pretty encouraging. While the expected reasons rise to the top of the pile, like the awful economy and a turn toward the green side of transportation, there are more nuanced reasons in there.

What Ms. Maynard found, in a nutshell:

  • One woman would rather spend her limited funds on health insurance than a car, insurance, and parking
  • Empty-nesters are moving from suburbs to cities and shedding cars as they go
  • Personal transportation like the P.U.M.A. may gain traction among carless commuters
  • And, of course, people have switched to bikes and public transportation for environmental reasons

The article explores the major shift away from car purchases as an emotional, status-based purchase. Have you given up your car? Are you car sharing? Car pooling? Riding a bike, like 8% of Portland, Oregon, commuters? Do you feel like you have to have a car, given your commute or family situation? Tell us your experience in the comments.

Paris Plugs In Its Car Sharing Program

September 10, 2009 in EVs, emissions by kristen | No comments

On the heels of its successful Velib bike sharing program comes Autolib, the all-electric car sharing program in the city of Paris.

The locations of the cars — rumored to be at about 1400 parking stations — membership costs and participation process will all be announced this fall, when city officials are back after summer break. One-way trips will be possible, as they are with Velib, and the cars will be able to be picked up and dropped off at any Autolib station. No word yet which electric cars will be used for the program.

By the way, it’s pronounced Auto-LEEB, as it’s the words for car (automobile) and freedom (liberte) smashed together in one marketable word.

Car Sharing Via U-Haul

August 14, 2009 in Consumer News, Hybrids, small cars by kristen | No comments

Did you know U-Haul had a car-sharing program, similar to ZipCar, called U Car Share? Neither did I. Apparently, U-Haul is not cool with this, as they’ve recently added greener cars to the fleet and cut the registration price in half. The service is available in mostly eco-forward and college towns, like Berkley, California; Portland, Oregon; and Madison, Wisconsin. More are on the way, including Salt Lake City.

The registration fee has been dropped from $50 to $25, and members of another car sharing service can join U Car Share for free. Rates start at $4.95 an hour, and AutoWeek is reporting that the Toyota Prius, Ford Escape Hybrid, Mini Cooper, and other gas sippers have been added to the lineup in an effort to lure more green-geared users.

Electric Car Sharing Service Starts Up in Baltimore

July 7, 2009 in EVs, small cars by kristen | 3 comments

Baltimorians are so lucky. Lots of cool stuff is there, like director John Waters, television series “The Wire,” and now an electric car sharing service. AltCar operates similarly to widespread car-sharing venture ZipCar, but with a twist: all the cars in the AltCar fleet are zero-emissions battery-electric vehicles. Cars can be reserved through the AltCar web site.

The cars currently in the fleet are all neighborhood electric vehicles, or NEVs. The company calls them “city cars.” Whatever you call them, they can only travel on streets posted at 35 mph or below.  AltCar promises to bring highway-capable cars to the fleet in the next few months. It also anticipates adding plug-in hybrids to the fleet.

AltCar has a monthly membership fee of $25, with 15 hours of car sharing for $90. Insurance and parking fees are included, and there’s no gas involved. One charge gets you up to 120 miles, and a full recharge takes 8 hours. But a quick one-hour charge adds 25 miles or so of driving time.