Comments on: Could Car Sharing Work in a Place Like China?

By: Odile Beniflah

Odile Beniflah — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 22:27:00 +0000

With ridesharing, drivers can still show off their cars and status in their profiles, while looking cool, smart, green, helpful or whatever reputation they want to build online as a driver.

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 20:30:00 +0000

I agree with Scott, my husband and I had one car for two years. I wanted to use car share, but I only needed it once or twice a year, so I didn’t sign up. I ended up borrowing a friends car. I will say that we lived in SF with one car and LOVED it. Unfortunately, we couldn’t afford the high price of living with a baby so we moved north and bought a second card. As an environmentalist, this was a fail for us, but now my husband no longer commutes 90 miles a day (round trip for both of us is just over 20 miles).

Also, I had an issue with the gentleman who said that this wouldn’t work in China. The folks with money will always do as they please. For example, no matter how expensive commuting and parking is in the SF Financial district, those that can afford it, will always drive to work. Yet if you can change the minds of the next class down from wanting their own cars and replacing that mind set with car sharing, you will be able to introduce car sharing to places like China and India. For example, in SF I worked for a State Agency, most of my colleagues were highly educated, and we all used car sharing or public transportation to get to work. As long as the car sharing is accessible and a step up from what they currently have, it will work.

By: Master Bruce

Master Bruce — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 18:49:00 +0000

“It’s an image factor, big image factor. So at the office you’d say, What kind of car are you driving? I’m driving a Honda. This guy over here has a Nissan. I have a Chevy. What about you? ‘Well, I’m sharing a car with somebody else. Gee. Oh, you’re sharing a car? That means you can’t afford one.’” Desperately need to dispense with this kind of selfishness is it’s ever to catch on.

By: kba2374

kba2374 — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 04:19:00 +0000

I live in a suburb of Minneapolis and primarily use the bus as well as my bicycle, however I still own a car. Tonight I had a volunteer activity that was scheduled until 8:30 PM so I drove since the last bus out to my bus stop leaves at 7:33 from downtown. All of the car share vehicles are located in the city so to drive home to the ‘burbs would require me to keep the car overnight which is prohibitively expensive. For a car share to work there needs to be a station close to one’s home which is not yet a reality in most of the Twin Cities. I am about to buy a second bicycle and equip it with lights to enable me to ride at night which is probably the best option for me to further reduce my car use.

By: narayanilaura

narayanilaura — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 01:37:00 +0000

I stopped driving last March after agonizing that my convenience does not outweigh the health of our Mother Earth. Living in Washington, DC, I can get most anywhere on my folding bike, bus and metro – I just have to allow more time and plan a bit. I thought I would be using the car share programs here (we have both Zip and Car2Go) but turns out they are too pricey to go somewhere for an event where the car would just be sitting until I need to return. . .and most of my trips are this. I rarely need a car to go pickup something heavy and just come back, which seems to be the only way it is cost effective for me. I also would only use a hybrid at this point, because once again I just can’t add to the breathing problems of our trees and Mother Earth and anything that needs clean oxygen at this point.

By: julia curran

julia curran — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 01:21:00 +0000

I’ve thought about joining one because I support the concept, but I don’t actually have a license (grew up on bus lines and have chosen to live carless for environmental, economic, and social/ethical reasons) or any need to drive that would make it worthwhile to put in the effort/time/money it would take.

By: Owen McBride Platt

Owen McBride Platt — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 01:16:00 +0000

I can’t wait until car sharing programs get combined with self driving car technology. Especially in the car culture we have in America this seems to me to be an ideal combination for the future of our transportation system.

By: P-A

P-A — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:23:00 +0000

Here in rural Eureka, California we live carfree and would love to be able to join a car share program were there one here in Humboldt County. In town is not the issue as SueNBoulder says above. We ride a tandem we can get around here. It is the out of town trips that don’t happen so much or so easily.

By: Betong2

Betong2 — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:10:00 +0000

Cars will disappear in about a decade. As Google self driving cars log hundreds of millions of miles, it will become obvious to make all cars self driving. Once you have no accidents in all cars then the shape, weight, and propulsion can all change. Since a self driving car can travel within a small tolerance on the road, an electric rail can power the cars. A battery can be used for the last three miles in most cases. The cars can change into small ultra light pods eliminating all the wasteful weight used to protect us. The pods can be used on a rental basis called up by smartphone allowing most trips to be one way. The possibilities are immense once you stop accidents.

By: Scott Stephan

Scott Stephan — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 22:18:00 +0000

I love the idea of car sharing programs, but they’re often ridiculously pricey. For example, Zipcar’s cheapest plan in LA is a $60 annual fee, a $25 one-time fee and $8.75/hr. By contrast, a rental car can be had for as little as $20 a day. If you plan to keep the vehicle for more than an hour- and this is nearly a given in LA- it almost always pays to just rent a car.

Of course, there are plenty of perks- Gas, Insurance, Parking- that make Zipcar appealing, but still feel like the price simply isn’t competitive.

By: SueNBoulder

SueNBoulder — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 21:31:00 +0000

I DO participate in a car share program (Ego Car share in Boulder CO) for 3+ years now. When friends say “get a scooter or smart car to get around town” My response, “I don’t need a car to get AROUND town [Boulder has a pretty good bus & bike infrastructure], I need a car to get OUT of town” Trips to mountains, road trips around beautiful state are harder to make, especially spontaneously. I use regular rental programs for that. When friends have car problems, I am HAPPY I don’t have a car.