Car Sharing Programs: Should You Turn in YOUR Keys?

What would you say if someone told you that you could reduce your average monthly transportation bills from $600 to $150 and all you have to do is trade your car keys for a key card?

In more than 40 cities across the United States and even some cities in Canada, people are being given this option. Companies, such as the Seattle based FlexCar, are providing urbanites the opportunity to garage their gas guzzling SUV's and "share" a hybrid car with other participants in the program. For just $40 annually and a $10 per hour sharing fee, many people in these cities are finding that the car share programs are not only great for the environment but also kind to the pocketbook.

But how does it work?

Participants utilize public transportation systems, taxis, bicycles, roller blades, any form of non-personal or non-motorized transportation, as their personal vehicles have been garaged in a safe facility, and use the shared cars for errands, trips, in climate weather, any situation where riding a bicycle may be inappropriate or ineffectual. The participants keep the title and ownership of the vehicle but instead of crowding the streets and highways and polluting the air, they are sharing fuel efficient cars with others who are looking to save a few dollars and protect the environment. This way, if after a year in the car sharing program, they are displeased with the system, they can retrieve their keys and their car from storage and go about life as usual. If, however, they decide that the car sharing program works well for them, they can sell the car, either to the company or on their own, privately.

Once they have turned in their keys, they are given a key card which, when swiped through the reader on the shared cars' doors, will unlock the doors and start charging their account at a rate of $10 per hour (special rates are applied for participants using the shared car for a long trip which will require them to have the car "checked out" for any more than a single day).

Most of the cars in the shared car programs around the country are hybrids, but fuel efficient Honda Civics have also been included in the shared inventory. These cars reduce pollution, offer higher fuel efficiency, which reduces the amount of money spent on fuel each month. The average American spends $664 per month on fuel, maintenance, and registration for their vehicles. The average car sharing participant spends between $80 and $150, depending on how often they use the service. The $10 hourly rate and the $40 annual fee are utilized by the company to pay for all of those things on their inventory. So instead of you alone paying for registration on your car, a couple hundred people are sharing the registration costs on fifty cars. Which may sound like a lot, until you consider the savings.

CanI get involved?

Right now, there are more than 40 cities across North America with some kind of car sharing program. The majority of them are privately owned, local companies, found in cities such as Ann Arbor, Michigan; Aspen and Boulder, Colorado; Eugene, Oregon; and Edmonton, Ontario, Canada, to name just a few. There are three major companies that have offices in four or more cities: FlexCar and ZipCar, both available in seven cities and Communauto in four cities. Chicago, Minneapolis, Toronto (ZipCar cities), San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. (FlexCar cities) all have two different car sharing services, three in San Francisco (both FlexCar and ZipCar are located there, plus an independent company).

Why should I get involved?

Car sharing has many benefits. Besides the costs of maintaining your own vehicle, which have already been mentioned, the benefits to the environment of 200 people sharing 50 cars instead of driving their own 200 cars are immeasurable. But, also, the question of overcrowding is answered through car sharing. Many large college campuses, especially those located in the center of large cities, are asking that students who can leave their car either at home or at an off campus parking facility do so. Because they are located in the centers of large cities these institutions are not able to expand their own parking facilities to accommodate their population growth. Car sharing offers a solution to this problem, by providing these students a safe place to store their vehicles but instead of being totally reliant on public transportation, they have access to a car when they need it, something they wouldn't have if they left their car at home with their parents.

The biggest drawback that can be seen with the car sharing program is inconvenience. While a person with their own car parked in their own driveway can hop in it and go whenever they get the urge, someone participating in the car sharing program has to either wait for a bus to take them to the storage facility or spend money on a cab to get them there. And, as is the case with any rental or sharing program (video rentals, library books, even rental cars), there is always the risk that what you need or want won't be available when you need it.

If you are interested in saving money and doing your small part to protect the environment by turning in your car keys for a key card, look into a car sharing program in your city. Chances are, if you live near a major university campus or in an over-populated city, you will probably be able to find some kind of car sharing program, whether it be a franchise such as FlexCar and ZipCar or an independently owned, private company.