View source for Carsharing

{{Short description|Brief car rental method}}
{{About|the short-term rental of cars|car owners driving passengers|carpool|the 2015 British sitcom|Peter Kay's Car Share}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{original research|date=April 2014}}
{{Cleanup-PR|1=article|date=July 2024}}
{{Unreliable sources|date=July 2024}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
[[File:BlueSG cars at Ang Mo Kio CC station.jpg|thumb|A carsharing company's logo-branded vehicles in their parking area]]
'''Carsharing''' or '''car sharing''' (AU, NZ, CA, TH, & US) or '''car clubs''' (UK) is a model of [[car rental]] where people rent cars for short periods of time, often by the hour. It differs from traditional car rental in that the owners of the cars are often private individuals themselves, and the car sharing facilitator is generally distinct from the car owner. Car sharing is part of a larger trend of [[shared mobility]].

Car sharing enables an occasional use of a vehicle or access to different brands of vehicles. The renting organization may be a commercial business. Users can also organize as a [[company]], public agency, [[cooperative]], or ''ad hoc'' grouping. The network of cars on the network becomes available to the users through a variety of means, ranging from the simplicity of using an app to unlock the car in real time, to meeting the owner of the car in order to exchange keys. As of January 2020 the world's top city for car sharing is [[Singapore]] with more than 30,000 vehicles. The majority of car sharing vehicles in Singapore are owned by private companies.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://stroi.mos.ru/city_news/moskva-vyshla-v-mirovyie-lidiery-po-parku-karshieringha |title=Москва вышла в мировые лидеры по парку каршеринга |access-date=12 January 2020 |archive-date=17 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017134213/https://stroi.mos.ru/city_news/moskva-vyshla-v-mirovyie-lidiery-po-parku-karshieringha |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== History ==
=== Early days ===

The first reference to car sharing in print identifies the ''Selbstfahrergenossenschaft'' car share program in a [[housing cooperative]] that began in [[Zürich]] in 1948.<ref>{{cite web |title=The CarSharing Handbook (Part 1) | publisher=Rain Magazine | url= http://www.rainmagazine.com/handbook.htm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070720225314/http://www.rainmagazine.com/handbook.htm |archive-date=20 July 2007 |access-date=6 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|first1=Susan |last1=Shaheen |first2=Daniel |last2=Sperling |first3=Conrad |last3=Wagner |title=Carsharing in Europe and North America: Past, Present and Future |url= http://www.uctc.net/papers/467.pdf |publisher=Transportation Quarterly |volume=52 |issue=3 |pages=35–52 |year=1998 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120320192219/http://www.uctc.net/papers/467.pdf |archive-date=20 March 2012 |access-date=6 February 2016}}</ref> By the 1960s, as innovators, industrialists, cities, and public authorities studied the possibility of high-technology transportation – mainly computer-based small vehicle systems (almost all of them on separate guideways) – it was possible to spot some early precursors to present-day service ideas and control technologies.

The early 1970s saw the first whole-system car share projects. The ProcoTip system in France lasted about two years. A much more ambitious project called the [[Witkar]] was launched in Amsterdam by the founders of the 1965 [[white bicycles]] project. A sophisticated project based on small electric vehicles, electronic controls for reservations and return, and plans for a large number of stations covering the entire city. The project was abandoned in the mid-1980s.

In July 1977, the first official British experiment in car sharing started in Suffolk. An office in Ipswich provided a ''Share-a-Car'' service for "putting motorists who are interested in sharing car journeys in touch with each other."<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Times |title=Experiment in car-sharing |first=Robin |last=Young |date=19 July 1977 |page=2}}</ref> In 1978, the [[Agricultural Research Council]] granted the [[University of Leeds]] £16,577 "for an investigation and simulation of carsharing".<ref>''The Times'', 15 February 1978, p. 12</ref> The scheme was not intended for different drivers of a single car but for a driver offering seats in their car, which is actually known as [[carpool]]ing, not car sharing.

The 1980s and first half of the 1990s was a "[[coming of age]]" period for car sharing, with continued slow growth, mainly of smaller non-profit systems, mostly in Switzerland and Germany<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.rainmagazine.com/archive/1994/carsharing-interview |title=The early days of car-sharing |date=1994|publisher=Rain Magazine}}</ref> but also on a smaller scale in Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Susan |last1=Shaheen |first2=Daniel |last2=Sperling |first3=Conrad |last3=Wagner |title=A Short History of Carsharing in the 90's |url=http://pubs.its.ucdavis.edu/download_pdf.php?id=1283 |publisher=Journal of World Transport Policy & Practice |volume=5 |issue=3 |date=September 1999 |access-date=6 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207050811/http://pubs.its.ucdavis.edu/download_pdf.php?id=1283 |archive-date=7 February 2016  }}</ref>

Carsharing in North America began in Quebec City in 1994 after Benoît Robert started a company called Communauto that is still a leader in car sharing globally. Cycling advocate and environmentalist Claire Morissette (1950–2007) played a major role in its evolution starting in 1995, when Communauto established itself in Montreal as a private company.

=== Rapid growth in the United States ===
[[File:Actual and Predicted Growth of Carsharing in the United States.png|thumb|Carsharing growth in the United States]]
The first car-sharing company in the U.S. was CarSharing Portland, founded by Dave Brook in March by 1998 after a visit from Conrad Wagner of Mobility Switzerland. Conrad and Dave would also help establish [[Flexcar]] in Seattle, which launched in 2000, the same year as competitor Zipcar on the east coast. In April 2001, Carsharing Portland, then with 25 vehicles, merged with Flexcar, as its first expansion city.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Law|first=Steve|title=Car-sharing got its start 20 years ago, here in Portland|url=https://pamplinmedia.com/sl/390915-282595-car-sharing-got-its-start-20-years-ago-here-in-portland|access-date=2020-12-21|publisher=[[Pamplin Media Group]]|language=en-us|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109002440/https://pamplinmedia.com/sl/390915-282595-car-sharing-got-its-start-20-years-ago-here-in-portland|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Dave|date=2018-04-06|title=Carsharing.US: Carsharing Portland Timeline|url=http://carsharingus.blogspot.com/2018/04/carsharing-portland-timeline.html|access-date=2020-12-21|website=Carsharing.US}}</ref>

[[Zipcar]] and [[City Car Club]] were founded in 2000. [[City CarShare]] was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2001 as a non-profit group. Several [[car rental]] companies launched their own car sharing services beginning in 2008, including Avis on Location by [[Avis Rent a Car System|Avis]], [[Hertz on Demand]] (formerly known as [[Connect by Hertz]]<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/20/hertz-on-demand-zipcar-without-membership-fees/|title=Hertz on Demand is a bit like ZipCar without membership fees |first=Eric |last=Loveday |publisher=Autoblog Green |date=20 July 2011 |access-date=6 February 2016}}</ref>), operating in the U.S. and Europe; [[Uhaul Car Share]] owned by [[U-Haul]], and [[WeCar]] by [[Enterprise Holdings|Enterprise Rent-A-Car]].<ref name="NYT0910" /> By 2010, when various [[peer-to-peer carsharing]] systems were introduced. {{as of|2012|09}}<ref name="Members">{{cite press release|url= http://ir.zipcar.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=719904 |title=Zipcar Reports 2012 Third Quarter Results |publisher=Ir.zipcar.com |date=8 November 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130122035859/http://ir.zipcar.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=719904 |archive-date=22 January 2013 |access-date=6 February 2016}}</ref>

Zipcar accounted for 80 percent of the U.S. car sharing market in 2010<ref name="NYT0910">{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/12/automobiles/12SHARE.html?ref=automobiles |title=Car Sharing: Ownership by the Hour |first=Ken |last=Belson |newspaper=New York Times |date=10 September 2010 |access-date=6 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url= http://www.economist.com/node/16945232?story_id=16945232 |title=Wheels when you need them|magazine=The Economist |date=2 September 2010 |access-date=6 February 2016}}</ref> and half of all car-sharers worldwide<ref>{{cite magazine|url= http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13725743 |title=The connected car |magazine=The Economist |date=4 June 2009 |access-date=6 February 2016}}</ref> with 730,000 members sharing 11,000 vehicles.

In 2008, City CarShare introduced the first wheelchair carrying car share vehicle, the ''Access Mobile'', specifically designed as a fleet vehicle shared with non-wheelchair users.

Car sharing is noted as a tool for achieving vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets in the California Transport Plan (CTP) 2040 to reduce congestion and pollution.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://innovativemobility.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/SharedMobility_WhitePaper_FINAL.pdf|title=Shared Mobility: Definitions, Industry Developments, and Early Understanding|last1=Shaheen|first1=Susan|last2=Chan|first2=Nelson|website=Innovative Mobility Research|last3=Bansal|first3=Apaar|last4=Cohen|first4=Adam}}</ref>

=== Development and growth ===
{{Bar chart|float=right
| title     = World cities by carshare fleet in 2018<ref>{{cite news |title=Here Is the Future of Car Sharing, and Carmakers Should Be Terrified |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-08/here-is-the-future-of-car-sharing-and-carmakers-should-be-terrified |newspaper=Bloomberg|date=8 February 2019 }}</ref>
| bar_width = 17
| label_type = city
| label1 = [[Tokyo]]
| label2 = [[Moscow]]
| label3 = [[Beijing]]
| label4 = [[Shanghai]]
| label5 = [[Guangzhou]]
| data_type = fleet in units
| data_max = 20.000
| data1 = 19.800
| data2 = 16.500
| data3 = 15.400
| data4 = 13.900
| data5 = 4.200
}}
Car sharing has also spread to other global markets with dense urban populations (such as Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Russia and Turkey) given that population density is often a critical determinant of success for car sharing.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/embarq/152996/car-sharing-picking-speed-developing-world |title=Car-Sharing Picking Up Speed in the Developing World |date=28 May 2013 |work=Sustainable Cities Collective |first1=Chhavi |last1=Dhingra |first2=Rebecca |last2=Stanich |access-date=6 February 2016}}</ref> Successful car sharing development has tended to be associated mainly with densely populated areas, such as city centers and more recently university and other campuses. There are some programs (mostly in Europe) for providing services in lower density and rural areas.{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}} Low-density areas are considered more difficult to serve with car sharing because of the lack of alternative modes of transportation and the potentially larger distance that users must travel to reach the cars.

Many building developers are now incorporating share-cars into their developments as an added value to tenants, and municipal government bodies around the world are starting to stipulate the implementation of a car sharing service in new buildings, as a sustainability initiative. These trends have created a demand for a new model of car sharing – residential, private-access share-cars that are typically underwritten by the [[Homeowner association]].{{citation needed|date=November 2016}} In Germany a pilot project has been started by the semiconductor manufacturer [[Infineon]] to replace regular pool vehicles with a corporate car sharing system.<ref name="How to Cut Costs Through Carsharing">{{cite web|url= http://www.cfo-insight.com/corporate-strategy/cost-efficiency/cost-cutting-with-carsharing/ |date=9 October 2012 |first=Alina |last=Bartsche|title=How to Cut Costs Through Carsharing |publisher=CFO Insight |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121012004241/http://www.cfo-insight.com/corporate-strategy/cost-efficiency/cost-cutting-with-carsharing |archive-date=12 October 2012 |access-date=6 February 2016}}</ref> Replacing private automobiles with shared ones directly reduces demand for parking spaces. The fact that only a certain number of cars can be in use at any one time may reduce [[traffic congestion]] at [[rush hour|peak times]]. Even more important for congestion, the strong metering of costs provides a cost incentive to drive less. With owned automobiles many expenses are [[sunk costs]] and thus independent of how much the car is driven (such as original purchase, insurance, registration, and some maintenance).

According to [[Navigant Consulting]], global carsharing services revenue is expected to grow to {{USD|6.2}} billion by 2020, with over 12 million members worldwide. The main factors driving the growth of carsharing are the rising levels of congestion faced by city dwellers; shifting generational mindsets about car ownership; the increasing costs of personal vehicle ownership; and a convergence of business models.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.navigantresearch.com/newsroom/carsharing-services-will-surpass-12-million-members-worldwide-by-2020 |title=Carsharing Services Will Surpass 12 Million Members Worldwide by 2020 |first=Richard |last=Martin |publisher=Navigant Consulting |date=22 August 2013 |access-date=6 February 2016 |archive-date=10 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160210013325/http://www.navigantresearch.com/newsroom/carsharing-services-will-surpass-12-million-members-worldwide-by-2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/08/20130822-navigant.html |title=Navigant forecasts global carsharing services to grow to $6.2B by 2020 |author=Navigant Research |publisher=Green Car Congress |date=22 August 2013 |access-date=6 February 2016}}</ref> Carsharing operators increasingly opt to brand parts of their fleets with third-party advertising in order to increase revenue and improve competitiveness ([[Transit media]]).

For future applications, many carsharing companies invest in [[plug-in hybrid]] electric vehicles ([[PHEV]]) to reduce petroleum consumption. One idea is to calculate and compensate all emissions on behalf of your drivers according to the Kyoto protocol, e.g. via reforestation schemes. The world's first certified [[carbon neutrality|carbon neutral]] carsharing service is Respiro carsharing in Madrid<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/2009/09/16/car-sharing-good-for-the-environment-and-the-budget|title=Car-Sharing – Good for the Environment and the Budget|last=Green|first=Caryn|date=16 September 2009|work=Organic Green and Natural|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301110941/http://www.organicgreenandnatural.com/2009/09/16/car-sharing-good-for-the-environment-and-the-budget/|archive-date=1 March 2012|access-date=6 February 2016}}</ref> and is also done by Australian p2p car sharing platform [[Car Next Door]].

The most important technological innovation to affect the carsharing market is self-driving cars. It is expected that most self-driving vehicles won't be owned by individuals, but will rather be shared. Some companies, like [[Ernst & Young]], have also started to use blockchain technology to record ownership, usage of shared vehicles and insurance information.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.mobiag.com/ey-debuts-blockchain-technology-in-car-sharing-and-other-news-e0110ac0c1f6|title=EY debuts blockchain technology in carsharing and other news|date=1 September 2017}}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

In July 2018, [[Volkswagen]] announced its intention to launch an all-electric car-sharing service by 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/07/04/vw-plans-to-launch-an-all-electric-car-sharing-service-next-year/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer_us=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_cs=ExmdXB_BQ-jkV8LPHZyh1g|title=VW plans to launch an all-electric car-sharing service next year|website=Techcrunch.com|date=4 July 2018|author=Kirsten Korosec|access-date=6 March 2019}}</ref> In August 2018, the carsharing startup [[Getaround]] rose $300 million from [[Softbank]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-getaround-funding/car-sharing-startup-getaround-raises-300-million-in-funding-led-by-softbank-idUSKCN1L61BJ|title=Car-sharing startup Getaround raises $300 million in funding led by SoftBank|website=Reuters.com|date=21 August 2018|access-date=6 March 2019}}</ref> According to Moscow's authority, the number of carsharing journeys in the city averaged 30,000 a day between January and September 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2018/12/10/moscow-residents-turn-to-car-sharing-after-parking-crackdown-a63769|title=Moscow Residents Turn to Car-Sharing After Parking Crackdown|website=Themoscowtimes.com|date=10 December 2018|access-date=16 July 2020}}</ref>

=== Global development and comparison in urban regions ===
Car-sharing is growing in urban regions as more people around the world adopt it.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Prieto|first1=Marc|last2=Baltas|first2=George|last3=Stan|first3=Valentina|date=1 July 2017|title=Car sharing adoption intention in urban areas: What are the key sociodemographic drivers?|journal=Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice|volume=101|pages=218–227|doi=10.1016/j.tra.2017.05.012|issn=0965-8564}}</ref> The world's top cities for car-sharing in 2018 were
[[Tokyo]] ([[Japan]]) with 19.8K vehicles, [[Moscow]] ([[Russia]]) with 16.5K vehicles, [[Beijing]] ([[China]]) with 15.4K vehicles, [[Shanghai]] (China) with 13.9K vehicles, [[Guangzhou]] (China) with 4.2K vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jellypages.com/business/Moscow-the-transformation-of-The-car-sharing-capital-of-h53626.html|title=Moscow : the transformation of The car-sharing capital of News|website=Jelly News|language=en|access-date=28 June 2019}}</ref> A new survey displayed that car sharing has become fashionable in Germany.<ref>{{cite news|date= 27 February 2024|title= Immer mehr Deutsche teilen das Auto
|url= https://taz.de/Carsharing-auf-dem-Vormarsch/!5995255/|work= Taz|access-date=7 March 2024}}</ref>

== Types of car sharing ==

Generally, car sharing programs fall into one of four sharing models: round-trip, one-way, peer-to-peer, or fractional.

=== Round-trip car sharing ===
Members begin and end their trip at the same location, often paying by the hour, mile, or both.

=== One-way/free-floating car sharing ===
{{main|One-way carsharing}}
One-way car sharing enables users to begin and end their trip at different locations through free floating zones or station-based models with designated parking locations.<ref name="Shaheen2015" /> As of 2017, free-floating car sharing is available in 55 cities and 20 countries worldwide, with 40,000 vehicles and serving 5.6 million users, with [[Europe]] and [[North America]] representing the majority of the market. In Europe, free floating services took up more than 65 percent in car sharing membership.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://fleetworld.co.uk/bmw-daimler-tie-up-to-bring-largest-free-floating-car-sharing-provider/|title=BMW–Daimler tie-up to bring 'largest free-floating car sharing provider'|date=4 March 2019|website=Fleet World|language=en-GB|access-date=1 April 2019}}</ref>

The service is expected to reach 14.3 million users with more than 100,000 vehicles by the end of 2022.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://theinternetofthings.eu/berg-insight-carsharing-service-membership-reached-238-million-worldwide-2017|title=Berg Insight: Carsharing service membership reached 23.8 million worldwide in 2017 {{!}} the internet of things|website=www.theinternetofthings.eu|access-date=1 April 2019|archive-date=1 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401122155/https://theinternetofthings.eu/berg-insight-carsharing-service-membership-reached-238-million-worldwide-2017|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref>

===By conventional companies===
{{main|Company car}}
In [[corporate car sharing]], the company shares the vehicles and allows multiple employees (rather than just one) to make use of a company car, at times when they actually need it. The vehicles are made available from a [[Fleet vehicle|corporate car sharing pool]], and shared for a fixed or flexible period of time.<ref>[https://vimcar.co.uk/resources/glossary/corporate-car-sharing/ Corporate car sharing]</ref> One shared car could replace up to 8 non-shared cars. However, car-sharing does involves an additional processing and associated costs.<ref>[https://www.fleeteurope.com/fr/maas-smart-mobility/europe/analysis/corporate-car-sharing-requires-change-attitude Corporate car sharing requires a change of attitude]</ref> Still, it  reduces fleet-related costs over the long term and allow employees to save not only on costs but also on time.<ref>[https://www.sharedmobility.news/corporate-car-sharing/ Corporate car sharing]</ref> {{Clarify|Where are the cars actually placed and made available by employees ? At the company car park ? But then how does the company deliver these vehicles at the employee house when he needs it (probably not by another employee as he needs to get home too, so would then need to take public transport or a bike, perhaps with an autonomous drive system that delivers it, but these are not yet widely available and most governments don't allow legal use of them -when operating fully autonomous-)? Or just by a scheme in which the car is taken home by the employee himself to his driveway ? But then how is the car shared with other employees ? Just by setting a rent out limit to say a few days to a week per month allowing other employees to rent the car the other weeks of the month ? Or by cooperation with existing carsharing companies, of which there may be cars placed and available near the employees house or in his street ? The latter seems to be the most effective as the car can then be shared maximally, so multiple times per day by different people. But in the latter case, why would an employee use the company's carsharing service rather then a regular carsharing company ? Is there financial benefit for him to do so, i.e. lower fee due to the government tax benefit that may be given to companies and/or perhaps lower maintenance cost due to having multiple (similar) cars |date=May 2021}}

=== Peer-to-peer car sharing ===
{{main|Peer-to-peer carsharing}}
Peer-to-peer car sharing, sometimes referred to as P2P or Personal Vehicle Sharing,<ref name="Shaheen2015">{{Cite web|url=http://innovativemobility.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/SharedMobility_WhitePaper_FINAL.pdf|title=Shared Mobility: Definitions, Industry Developments, and Early Understanding|last1=Shaheen|first1=Susan|last2=Chan|first2=Nelson|date=November 2015|website=Innovative Mobility Research|last3=Bansal|first3=Apaar|last4=Cohen|first4=Adam}}</ref> operates similarly to round-trip car sharing in trip and payment type. However, the vehicles themselves are typically privately owned or leased with the sharing system operated by a third-party.

=== Fractional ownership ===
Fractional ownership allows users to co-own a vehicle and share its costs and use.<ref name="Car2go">{{Cite web|url=http://innovativemobility.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Impactsofcar2go_FiveCities_2016.pdf|title=The Impacts of Car2go on Vehicle Ownership, Modal Shift, Vehicle Miles Traveled, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: An Analysis of Five North American Cities|last1=Martin|first1=Elliot|last2=Shaheen|first2=Susan|date=July 2016|website=Innovative Mobility Research}}</ref>
Neighborhood fractional ownership car sharing is often promoted as an alternative to owning a car where [[public transit]], walking, and [[cycling]] can be used most of the time and a car is only necessary for out-of-town trips, moving large items, or special occasions. It can also be an alternative to owning multiple cars for households with more than one driver.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://escholarship.org/uc/item/7fn8966c?query=City_CarShare |first1=Robert |last1=Cervero |author-link=Robert Cervero|first2=Aaron |last2=Golub |first3=Brendan |last3=Nee |title=City CarShare: Longer-Term Travel Demand and Car Ownership Impacts |year=2007 |publisher=Institute of Urban and Regional Development University of California at Berkeley |access-date=14 November 2015}}</ref>

== Difference from traditional car rentals ==

Car sharing differs from traditional car rentals in the following ways:

* Car sharing is not limited by office hours
* Reservation, pickup, and return is all self-service
* Vehicles can be rented by the minute, by the hour, as well as by the day
* Users are members and have been pre-approved to drive (background driving checks have been performed and a payment mechanism has been established).
* Vehicle locations are distributed throughout the service area, and often located for access by [[public transport]].
* Insurance: (this section is US specific) state minimum liability insurance (only $5000 in some states), comprehensive and collision insurance. They do not provide uninsured, under-insured or personal injury protection insurance. 
* Fuel costs are included in the rates.
* Vehicles are not serviced (cleaning, fueling) after each use, although certain programs (such as [[Car2Go]] or [[GoGet]]) continuously clean and fuel their fleet.

With car sharing, individuals have access to private cars without having costs and responsibilities associated with car ownership (except for fractional ownerships).<ref name="shaheen1">{{cite web|last1=Shaheen |first1=Susan |first2=Daniel |last2=Sperling |first3=Conrad |last3=Wagner |title=Carsharing in Europe and North America: Past, Present, and Future |url=http://76.12.4.249/artman2/uploads/1/UCD-ITS-RP-98-14.pdf |work=Transportation Quarterly |date=Summer 1998 |volume=52 |issue=3 |pages=35–52 |access-date=6 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021081101/http://76.12.4.249/artman2/uploads/1/UCD-ITS-RP-98-14.pdf |archive-date=21 October 2013  }}</ref> Some car share operations (CSOs) cooperate with local car rental firms, in particular in situations wherein classic rental may be the cheaper option.

The insurance policies on carsharing greatly varies among companies, but all car sharing firms provide insurance that at least meets the legal minimum requirements for the given region of operation.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}} Rob Lieber of ''The New York Times'' has criticized car sharing firms such as Zipcar for the paltry coverage afforded car sharing drivers.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The New York Times|title=Consider the Worst Case With Zipcar|author=Lieber, Ron|date=22 April 2011|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/23/your-money/23money.html}}</ref>

== Technology ==
[[File:Заправка Яндекс.Драйв в Котельниках.jpg|thumb|[[Yandex.Drive]], the largest car sharing operator in Russia, uses mobile fuel trucks to refuel its vehicle fleet.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Frolov |first1=Andrey |title=Каршеринг "Яндекс.Драйв" договорился о поглощении стартапа мобильной заправки машин "Топливо в бак" – Транспорт на vc.ru |url=https://vc.ru/transport/43372-karshering-yandeks-drayv-dogovorilsya-o-pogloshchenii-startapa-mobilnoy-zapravki-mashin-toplivo-v-bak |website=vc.ru |date=8 August 2018}}</ref>]]
The technology of CSOs varies enormously, from simple manual systems using key boxes and log books to increasingly complex computer-based systems (e.g. partially automated and fully automated systems) with supporting [[software suite|software packages]] that handle a growing array of back office functions.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=Susan A. |last1=Shaheen |first2=Adam P. |last2=Cohen |first3=J. Darious |last3=Roberts |title=Carsharing in North America: Market Growth, Current Developments, and Future Potential |url= http://escholarship.org/uc/item/68n01997?query=Carsharing_in_North_America:_Market_Growth,|journal=Transportation Research Record |year=2005 |access-date=6 February 2016}}</ref> The simplest CSOs have only one or two pick-up points, but more advanced systems allow cars to be picked up and dropped off at any available public parking space within a designated operating area.

Once the reservations are completed and confirmed, the car will then be delivered at the time and place scheduled. There will be a small card reader mounted on the windshield. Once the customer places their membership card on the reader, it will use what is called [[blink technology]] to activate the time and unlock the car. The reader will not work until it is time for that specific reservation. The keys can then be found somewhere inside the car such as the glove compartment. Depending on the company, the customer may be provided with a key to a lock box that contains the ignition key itself.<ref>{{cite web|last=Toothman |first=Jessika |date=16 May 2008 |title=How Car Sharing Works |url= http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/fuel-economy/car-share.htm |work=howstuffworks |access-date=6 February 2016}}</ref> In some cases the car can be unlocked using a mobile phone and the car can even be started using the phone as well.

Many car sharing networks price their services as a small start up fee and then a mileage fee for the distance driven in the car. Usually the app will include insurance, gas cards, and upkeep to their fleet of cars at no additional charge to the customer.

==See also==
* [[Sharing economy]]
* [[Alternatives to car use]]
* [[Car rental]]
* [[Carpool]]
* [[Ecoleasing]]
* [[Fleet vehicle]]
* [[List of carsharing organizations]]
* [[Ridesharing company]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline}}

{{Sharing economy}}
{{Public transport}}
{{Vehicle rental brands}}
{{Portal bar|Cars|Transport}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Car Sharing}}
[[Category:Carsharing| ]]
[[Category:Sustainable transport]]