Car Sharing

Ever heard of car sharing? I hadn't either until getting the latest TerraPass newsletter in which they talk about a company called Flexcar. Flexcar is a company that owns a fleet of cars, all of which are fuel efficient and 30% of which are hybrids. The way it works is you pay an hourly fee (usually $8 per) to use the vehicle. That's it, there are none of the typical costs associated with owning or operating a car.



From the TerraPass blog: "The U.S. Transportation Research Board reports that each car-sharing vehicle takes up to 15 private cars off the road. Seventy percent of respondents in a 2005 study said they postponed buying a car because of car-sharing. Half of those interviewed said car-sharing enabled them to sell an existing second car....This arrangement should encourage drivers to eliminate unnecessary trips, and indeed, surveys show that roughly half of Flexcar drivers report driving less after becoming members, with an average reduction of almost 40%."

Of course, TerraPass isn't talking about Flexcar just to talk about them. No. They've announced a joint partnership where Flexcar users can buy a Green Membership for $9.99 and they will aid in taking a billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions out of the atmosphere.

The idea of car sharing isn't just unique and original, it's revolutionary. Who knows if it will catch on nationwide but they already have a significant presence in many cities including Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia. Hopefully soon they'll come here and we'll get to try them out.

More info:

Flex!

TerrPass Blog Post