Car Sharing helps reduce polution
In the past decade, urban car sharing has become increasingly popular in major cities around the world. Sharing is an especially excellent choice for those who want to enjoy the advantages of an electric car (which tends to be on the smallish side), but find that they still have times when they require a larger cart travel in – whether for family trips or for longer trips in general. To fill this need, electric car enthusiasts began car clubs so that they might enjoy the fruits of both without having to foot the bill of a two car lifestyle. The costs are shared, and the benefits are spread out so that more people can enjoy them.
Car clubs operate by making cars available in certain assigned parking areas in the cities. The available cars can be accessed via an electronic key, which is also a smart card, and a PIN number. Members of the car club can make a car booking via internet or telephone with as little half an hour’s notice to get a car. They can opt to pay for their usage via their monthly subscription, or pay as they drive on an hourly basis. These payments typically cover the cost of fuel, maintenance, and insurance.
Zipcar currently runs the largest car sharing club, with 6,500 cars in more than 50 cities in the U.S. and U.K. Zipcar boasts of having more than 400 cars around the city of Chicago, placed strategically at 140 locations. This car-sharing scheme helps to significantly reduce the number of vehicles on the streets of Chicago as well as airborne emissions from fossil fueled cars. Cars are made to suit every need, with small-sized hatchbacks or luxury cars. The success factor is the availability of many vehicles all over the city for the convenience of the electric car owners, making it possible to always get a car when it is needed. With this kind of convenience, the estimated calculation that every Zipcar replaces about 15-20 personal cars may very well be spot on.
Mark Norman, COO and President of Zipcar, reported that the percentage of Zipcar membership in Chicago rose by 50 percent in the course of only a year. Norman provided further details on the monetary benefits enjoyed by members of his car club: "Zipcar members reported a lower transportation percentage (6%) than the national average (19%). The increasing number of Zipcar members here in Chicago has impacted the number of personally owned cars being driven to a lower figure of about 10,000 vehicles. Thus, over $50 million in savings is enjoyed by Zipcar member households in Chicago annually."
It is predicted that car sharing and car clubs will gain more members in the coming years, with an estimated ten percent of the population joining the ranks of the car clubs, making the shared car their main mode of transportation by the year 2025.